Author Archives: HISD Communications

Golfcrest ES teacher named February Teacher of the Month

The skies may have been overcast and dreary over Golfcrest Elementary School, but the mood inside the school’s cafeteria was decidedly brighter.

Students waited with colorful signs, balloons framed the stage, and decorations filled the tables as fifth-grade science teacher Ruth Giles entered the room.

“What’s going on? I’m in shock,” Giles said as she passed through the lines of cafeteria tables, headed toward Interim Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan on the other side of the room. Giles, who has been with Golfcrest Elementary for three years, was named the Sterling McCall Teacher of the Month for February, and this socially distanced party was in honor of her.

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49 HISD schools named to Texas Honor Roll list

The recently released list of Texas Honor Roll schools selected by the Educational Results Partnership includes 49 Houston Independent School District campuses.

The schools were selected by the Educational Results Partnership (ERP) for 2019-2020  based on students’ academic performance, closing achievement gaps among groups of students, utilizing evidence-based instructional practices, and having a defined system-wide mission of college and career readiness for all students.

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HISD crossing guard reflects on growing up in civil rights era, stresses importance of education

At 19, Mary Campbell was more interested in working and socializing than paying attention to the injustices of the world — she wasn’t politically savvy or familiar with nuanced discussions about race.

But that changed when she was invited to her first political assembly in 1970, just two years after Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed. When she received that invite, she just knew she had to go.

“She told me, ‘you’re going to learn something today,’” she said, recalling the words of the friend who invited her to her first meeting and served as the catalyst to her educational awakening.

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Mural at Yates HS unveiled to honor George Floyd, Black Lives Matter movement

Alabama Street runs for about eleven miles through the heart of Houston, starting in the Third Ward and ending just past the Galleria. At the eastern edge of Alabama—where it begins as a two-lane road—sits Jack Yates High School.

It’s on that stretch where three words now cover the street: Black Lives Matter.

The massive letters are part of a new mural in front of Yates, honoring its own George Floyd. The project, a partnership between Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and the Houston Society for Change and approved through the City of Houston, has been in the planning stages since last summer.

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Alynthia Curtis named new principal of Atherton Elementary School

Alynthia Curtis has been selected as the new principal of Atherton Elementary School. Curtis has served as the assistant principal of Atherton for the past 10 years. During her tenure there, the school earned a Texas “A” Rating along with numerous distinctions.

She has advised and supported students with the “Girls and Pearls” and “Boys with Bow Ties” mentorship programs. She began her educational career 27 years ago as a first- and second-grade teacher and also has served in middle school as a literacy coach. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston-Downtown and her master’s degree at Prairie View A&M University.

Virtual Study Hall offered for college-level course assistance

HISD’s Innovation and Postsecondary Programming department is currently offering a Virtual Study Hall for students taking High School Advanced Placement, IB, Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment courses.

This free after-school resource will be offered online every Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. and include help with college-level course assistance.

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Last virtual school choice fair on Feb. 13 as Phase 2 deadline nears

Parents who would like to explore HISD’s portfolio of school choice options for the 2021-2022 school year are invited to the final virtual School Choice Fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Representatives from HISD campuses will be available, and attendees can get help submitting their application. Parents can log into the virtual fair here.

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Project Explore welcomes new students with virtual orientations

More than 800 students attended virtual orientations for HISD’s Project Explore program, which helps middle school students in underserved areas across the district.

As schools continue to navigate social distancing and virtual learning, Project Explore onboarded more than 800 new members to the program from 28 middle schools. Project Explore advisors held orientations with their new members and their families online. 

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New HISD Neighborhood Supersite opening at Butler Stadium

The Houston Independent School District is opening a sixth Neighborhood Supersite at Butler Stadium in Southwest Houston to better serve families across the city.

The move is part of an ongoing effort to streamline student meals and community distribution efforts and focus food and resources at sites where the need is greatest.

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