Author Archives: HISD Communications

Learning loss addressed at two HISD middle schools

On the second day of school at Stevenson Middle School in south Houston, as students filed in from parent drop-off with their backpacks slung over their shoulders and arms full of books, one phrase could be heard repeatedly in the main hallway: “It’s Dragon Time!”

It’s a phrase that Principal Christyn McCloskey said is an important part of the 2021-2022 school year.

“One of the initiatives that we put in place this year is Dragon Time; we are the Stevenson Dragons,” McCloskey said. “It’s where students are getting those intensive small-group interventions. Every single teacher on campus has a Dragon Time group, and they’re all working on figuring out where are the students, what are they working on.”

The new addition is a part of the school’s efforts to address learning loss this school year. Dragon Time is a series of small group learning activities that help students to make up for any learning loss that might have taken place over the summer—or even over the course of the pandemic.

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Westside HS honors David Castro with ‘Random Acts Of Kindness’

On Tuesday, the Westside Wolf Band, Westside High School, the Houston Independent School District community, Superintendent Millard House, and family members gathered around a tree to celebrate the life of David Castro. The tree represented more than just life, but optimism on the second day of school, as Paul Castro, David’s father, started the #RAKDavid (Random Act of Kindness) movement.

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Superintendent House visits future healthcare heroes at DeBakey HS

Tucked away on a side street in the shadow of the largest medical center in the world, DeBakey High School for Health Professions is the district’s medical magnet school, where students can learn more about the various career paths involved in the healthcare field, from the typical bedside options to the legislative branch.

Students like Cindy Choi, Paul Daniel, Caitlyn Davies, and David Dzul, all seniors, who gave Superintendent Millard House a tour of the school, which opened its $65 million, state-of-the-art, 194,000-square-foot building on the western edge of the Texas Medical Center in 2017.

 House was visiting the school on its second day of the 2021-2022 school year. As the ongoing global pandemic continues to make headlines, students at DeBakey are preparing to be the next generation of healthcare professionals.

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Superintendent promises data-based decisions in the best interest of students, families

Superintendent Millard House II marked his first day of school in the Houston Independent School District by traveling from campus to campus, welcoming students back and peeking into their classrooms to watch them learn.

But his first stop — though not on his official schedule— held special meaning.

“As I dropped off my fourth grader at school this morning, he told me, ‘Dad, I have butterflies in my stomach,’” House said, referring to the range of emotions many students are feeling as they start a second school year amidst the pandemic. “That’s understandable.”

House told the story while speaking to a room of reporters and district officials who gathered at Parker Elementary School for HISD’s first-day-of-school press conference.

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A look at ‘Ready, Set, Go’ protocols with Memorial ES safety tour

HISD Superintendent Millard House, along with district officials, got to see the “Ready, Set, Go” safety initiative in action Monday at Memorial Elementary School.

The “Ready, Set, Go” plan provides students, families, staff, and the community a safe environment for in-person learning with protocols that include required masks in all HISD buildings, constant sanitization of surfaces, COVID-19 vaccination sites, testing, and physical distancing.

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Student Assistance lends a hand at Back To School Extravaganza

Houston Independent School District Student Assistance held a “Back To School Extravaganza” drive-thru event Friday at Bethel’s Empowerment Center.

The event featured a drive-up that included free vaccinations (including for Covid-19), backpacks, supplies, fresh produce, local vendors, giveaways, Medicaid and CHIP renewal applications, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications, and HISD Community Partnerships.

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HISD board approves vaccination stipend, added COVID leave

The Houston Independent School District Board Of Education approved a stipend program that gives employees a one-time $500 stipend for those who show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. On Thursday, the board also approved additional Covid-19 leave time if needed for isolation.

Once approved by TEA, to get the stipend, employees must submit their proof of vaccination to Health and Medical Services by Nov. 19, 2021. Additional guidelines will be shared with employees soon.

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HISD closing curbside summer meals and apartment complex delivery programs

With the new school year set to begin on Monday with 100 percent in-person learning, Nutrition Services is ending its campus curbside pickup and apartment complex delivery programs for summer meals.

The final distributions for both programs are Thursday, Aug. 19. Pickups and deliveries on that day will include three days’ worth of student meals, hand sanitizer, and masks. No further distributions are scheduled.

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