Author Archives: HISD Communications

Washington HS to dedicate auditorium, break ground on community ‘Vision’ project

In a ceremony on April 24, Booker T. Washington High School and the High School for Engineering Professions will dedicate its auditorium to alumna state Rep. Senfronia Thompson and kick off efforts to create a community “Vision” project.

Thompson, a 25-term state representative and 1957 Washington High School graduate, has long been heralded for her service to her community as a state legislator.

Thompson will be present at the ceremony in her honor, along with State Senator John Whitmire, State Representatives Jarvis Johnson and Harold Dutton, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston City Council Member Karla Cisneros, HISD District II Trustee Katherine Blueford-Daniels, and Harris County Justice of the Peace Judge Eric Carter.

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Parent University wraps up third year with final session

Parent University, the Houston Independent School District program offering guidance and resources for parents of district students, has wrapped up its third year of workshops.

This year, all sessions were held virtually due to social distancing protocols. Parent University was created to offer practical information to create successful academic careers as well as safe and healthy environments at home and at school. Each session highlights internal and external resources available to all HISD students and parents.

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Wisdom HS calculator applications team headed to state for 4th year in a row

For the fourth consecutive year, the Wisdom High School math team is headed to state UIL competition.

The school’s UIL Calculator Applications team won the regional championship on Saturday at Fort Bend ISD’s Willowridge High School. With a team score of 581 points, they defeated runner-up Waller ISD by 22 points to advance to the state finals, which will be held on May 1.

The team includes sophomore Paul Oh, sophomore Bruno Santana, senior Wilmer Salgado and freshman Emir Genc. They are coached by Eridani Alcantar, Saul Cantu and JooHee Cho – under the direction of Principal Michelle Wagner.

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Volunteers in Public Schools marks 50 years of service

As the Houston Independent School District gears up to honor its volunteers with a virtual celebration, Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) is taking the entire week to recognize the hard work of volunteers throughout the district.

VIPS recruits thousands of parents and community partners every year to donate their time and efforts in supporting HISD students. Volunteers contribute in areas such as mentoring, tutoring, fundraising, career education, enrichment programs, extracurricular and community service activities, and office and classroom assistance.

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Nutrition classes at Attucks MS, Worthing HS set up students for success

As students begin to think about the future, Nutrition Services Culinary Educator Brittany Jones is working to ensure they’re equipped with a key ingredient for success — the basics of cooking.

Chef Jones is one of two educators who teach “Get Growing Houston” classes at Attucks Middle School and Worthing Early College High School. The 10-week classes were piloted at the schools to help students learn the importance of good nutrition and the fundamentals of cooking.

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Braeburn ES marks virtual grand opening with Bobcat Newscast, watch party

Neymar Gonzalez could barely contain his excitement.

The Braeburn Elementary School third-grader vigorously clapped his hands as a five-minute countdown launched on the big screen at the front of his classroom.

“Yay! Five minutes until showtime!” Gonzalez squealed. “I’m so excited!”

Similar excitement was felt throughout the school on Friday afternoon as students celebrated the premiere of their school’s virtual grand opening — a specially themed “Bobcat News” segment — with cupcakes and classroom watch parties.

The virtual event officially marked the beginning of a new chapter for Braeburn, which was among four HISD elementary schools that had to be demolished and rebuilt after sustaining significant damage during Hurricane Harvey.

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EMERGE recruiting 10th-graders; application deadline extended to June 13

Tenth-graders in Houston Independent School District are encouraged to apply for EMERGE, a program that empowers and prepares high-performing students from underserved communities to attend and graduate from top colleges and universities across the nation.

Applications are currently available and are due by June 13. (Please note: this application deadline was extended from May 31 to June 13.)

EMERGE is a nationally recognized program started in Houston ISD that helps first-generation and low-income students. The program is free for all accepted students.

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When I Grow Up career expo goes virtual on Saturday

All HISD students in grades K-12 and their parents are invited this weekend to attend When I Grow Up 2021, a virtual informative day of career exploration.

WIGU 2021 is a virtual experience taking place on Saturday April 17 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

Beginnig at 10 a.m., the WIGU landing page will be separated by school grade level and will consist of carefully curated career exploration content to provide K-12 students with information, coding activities, career exploration, videos, job search information, and a video competition that ALL campuses and CTE pathways may compete in.

See this flyer for more information.

HISD hosting virtual teacher hiring event for Achieve 180 schools

The Houston Independent School District is hosting a virtual teacher job fair from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 24. The event is focused on Achieve 180 schools.

Achieve 180 was launched in Houston ISD in 2017, and was created to support, strengthen, and empower underserved and underperforming communities.

Interested candidates can register to attend at forms.gle/kdJHhiL7kshBp6pf8. Once registered, teachers are encouraged to submit an application prior to the job fair. Applications and other instructions can be found at HoustonISD.org/TeachHISD.

For more information, contact TeacherRecruitment@HoustonISD.org or 713-556-7373.

Westbury HS grad to become commander of International Space Station

Students at Westbury High School will soon watch one of their own take command of the International Space Station.

Shannon Walker, a 1983 graduate of Westbury, takes control of the ISS on April 15, and has said the high expectations of her former HISD teachers fueled her space ambitions.

“We are proud to know that Dr. Walker’s HISD education inspired her to become involved in the space program and then become an astronaut,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “On Thursday, we will celebrate her promotion to Commander of the International Space Station. It is an honor that has been years in the making and is well deserved.”

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