Author Archives: HISD Communications

Associate Teachers of the Month honored at Whidby ES, Hobby ES

As the mid-morning sun struggled to break through the cloudy skies, a whirl of blue fabric and the sounds of a bass drum filled the parking lot at Whidby Elementary School.

As LaShunda Robinson walked through the front doors of the school, a parade broke out with Chief Human Resources Officer Julia Dimmitt leading the way as twirlers, band members, cheerleaders, and other students from Whidby trailed behind.

The parade was to honor Robinson as the April Achieve 180 Dedicated Associate Teacher of the Month.

“I am without words,” Robinson said as the parade passed her by. “And that doesn’t happen very often.”

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Nurses from R.P. Harris ES, HSPVA recognized

With a colorful contemporary art installation overhead and neighboring mirrored skyscrapers reflecting sunlight into the lobby of Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Nurse Kimberlyn Jordan came out of the elevator expecting to take her photo for the school yearbook.

But the staff at HSPVA had other plans, surprising Jordan with the April Secondary Nurse of the Month honor.

“I saw all these people down here, and I had no idea what was going on,” Jordan said.

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Five schools represent HISD at Texas History Day Competition

Students from five schools represented the Houston Independent School District at the Texas History Day Competition on April 24.

Students from Baylor College of Medicine Biotech Academy at Rusk Middle School, Black Middle School, Carnegie Vanguard High School, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School, and Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy attended the competition.

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Three HISD campuses recognized with AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award

A trio of high schools in Houston Independent School District are being recognized by the College Board.

Bellaire High School, North Houston Early College High School, and Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy are each being honored with the prestigious 2020 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. Only 1,119 schools in the country obtained this honor. 

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Lamar High School wins 2021 Landmark Award

The newly built Lamar High School was named the winner of the Houston Business Journal 2021 Landmark Awards for Education.

The annual awards program recognizes outstanding real estate projects that make a significant impact on the Houston landscape and help sculpt the look, feel, and image of the city.

At Lamar, judges scored the project on innovative interiors, best use of land, visual plan, and being environmentally friendly.

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HISD to participate in Teacher Incentive Allotment program

Next spring, HISD will be participating in the Texas Education Agency’s Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that aims to help districts boost student success while also recruiting and retaining high-quality educators.

HISD is eager to be a part of this program because it will help increase salaries for the district’s highest performing teachers — at little-to-no cost to the district — while also ensuring students have equitable access to the most effective teachers.

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Volunteers in Public Schools celebrates 50 years, recognizes 2020-2021 honorees

For 50 years, Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) has provided the Houston Independent School District with invaluable support and commitment that supports student success. That partnership was celebrated at a virtual ceremony on Friday, honoring 50 Years of Volunteers in Public Schools.

As Interim Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan opened the program, she noted that VIPS boasted more than 44,000 volunteers in HISD schools. That makes it one of the largest volunteer groups in the city, putting it alongside such organizations as the Houston Food Bank and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

“And just like those organizations, we could not do what we do without volunteers,” Lathan said. “Many, many students would not be where they are today without your tireless efforts. During those five decades, you’ve shown Houston the power of public education. Time and time again, you showed up and worked hard, believing in HISD students every step of the way.”

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Park Place ES receives long-awaited honor for innovative, school-wide recycling program

Recycling isn’t something an afterschool robotics club would typically dedicate its time to, but the RoboTigers at Park Place Elementary are no ordinary club.

The RoboTigers won first place in the All-Earth EcoBot Challenge last year after launching an ambitious, school-wide recycling program and contest that resulted in 23,000 pounds of recycled material.

The impressive accomplishment was initially overshadowed by the pandemic. But nearly a year after being declared winners, Park Place finally had its time to shine last week as the RoboTigers received a plaque honoring their contributions to sustainability.

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HISD partnership to explore opportunities to enhance district’s School Choice process

The Houston Independent School District is launching an initiative to improve the district’s School Choice process and develop a plan to make it more family-friendly, efficient, and equitable.

With support from Houston Endowment, the project will entail gathering input and feedback from families, students, and district administration and campus staff to better understand what is working well regarding School Choice and to identify areas of improvement. In addition, data and district guidelines and policies related to School Choice will be examined.

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Cultivated Classroom at Gregory-Lincoln growing young minds, spreading roots in community

Sit down to a table at Bludorn Restaurant in Midtown, and you expect to see a few things: an airy dining room with high-end lighting, the wine wall with vintages from around the world, and artfully plated dishes with ingredients like maitake mushrooms, chermoula, and sea urchin.

But what you might not expect to see is a carrot—or Swiss chard or green beans or kale—planted, cultivated, and harvested by a third-grader just down the block.

So how do these vegetables make it from the hands of an elementary school student to the plate of a high-end restaurant with a Michelin pedigreed chef?

Just down Taft Street from Chef Aaron Bludorn’s flagship restaurant sits Gregory-Lincoln Education Center, and its school garden. Or, as Kellie Karavias calls it, the Cultivated Classroom.

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