Category Archives: 2012 bond

Students Welcomed to New Sherman Elementary School

Katherine Smith Elementary also unveils new administration and classroom wing

Sherman Elementary School students admired the smart boards and cubby spaces and helped sharpen pencils on Monday as teachers prepared to start class for the first time at their new building. 

“It’s awesome because it’s all new,” said fourth-grader Xavier Cegueda, who was met with hugs and smiles from school administrators and staff who helped students find their new classroom.

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In 21st Century Learning Spaces, It’s OK to Write on the Walls

Imagine a school where students can write and do Google searches on the walls of their classroom.

“How wonderful would it be for kids to have access to this kind of technology on their classroom wall?” said Furr High School Principal Bertie Simmons. “You can write on it. You can search the Internet with it. It’s just a really neat and innovative way to teach a class.”

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Some classroom walls in HISD’s newest campuses may be getting an upgrade with modular magnetic glass walls created by DIRTT (Doing It Right This Time) Environmental Solutions. The company, based in Calgary, Alberta, manufactures the walls, which are attracting attention as schools embrace 21st century learning environments.

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M/WBE Air Conditioning Business Has 10-Year History with HISD

Editor’s note: This profile is part of an occasional series on minority or women-owned companies that do business with HISD. The district’s minimum M/WBE goal levels are 20 percent for all levels of purchasing and construction, and 25 percent for professional services. In the 2007 bond program, that commitment reached nearly 34 percent. In the 2012 program, the contracts awarded to date reflect a nearly 51 percent M/WBE commitment.

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CFS Honors Nearly 2,000 Employees at Appreciation Luncheon

HISD construction and facility managers thanked their team members for the work they do by serving them lunch and handing out raffle prizes on Friday at the department’s annual appreciation luncheon.

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Sterling and Worthing Communities Give Input on Design Concepts for New Schools

Nearly 100 people turned out this week to weigh in on proposed design concepts for Worthing and Sterling High Schools during community meetings held at each campus.

Both schools are slated to be rebuilt under the 2012 bond program, which was approved by voters in November 2012.

“This is an exciting time for Sterling,” Principal Dale Mitchell told the audience of more than 40 at his campus on Monday.  “It’s very important that you’re here and giving your feedback.” Continue reading →

Briargrove’s Efforts to Build a Greener Campus Take Flight with Butterfly Garden Project

Briargrove Elementary students took on a big project to beautify their school during this year’s Green Apple Day of Service, and the results of that effort are now being considered for a national award.

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The school used the day of service to spruce up their grounds and build a butterfly garden, utilizing materials from the City of Houston’s Reuse Warehouse – a space for excess building materials that would otherwise be dumped in local landfills. Now the school is a contender for the 2013 National Reuse Contest, sponsored by The Reuse People of America.

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Business Matchmaking Event Gives Specialized Attention to M/WBEs

HISD team members from supplier diversity and procurement on Tuesday met one-on-one with minority- and women-owned business enterprise professionals at a business matchmaking forum, providing detailed guidance on doing business with the district.

For three hours, team members met individually with M/WBEs in engineering, packaging, and technology in 10-minute sessions, providing guidance on the M/WBE certification process, joint ventures, HISD contracts and Request for Proposals (RFPs). The event, organized by Business Matchmaking, drew more than 200 people.

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Milby Community Learns More About Initial Design Concepts for School

More than 150 parents, teachers, students and alumni of Milby High School turned out Tuesday night to learn more about the preliminary designs and concepts for the new school being funded by the 2012 bond program.

Milby is slated to be rebuilt into a 21st century facility while maintaining the campus’s architecturally significant building structure. On Tuesday, HISD staff and the school’s architects fielded many questions about the project, including size, classrooms and athletic fields.

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New Instructional Spaces Will Benefit Students at SECHS and Waltrip

Parents and community members at South Early College High School and Waltrip High School got the opportunity to weigh in Thursday on designs ideas for the two schools, which are set for construction under the 2012 bond program.

Site work is already underway for the new South Early College High School, which is being built on the campus of Houston Community College – South, at 1990 Airport Blvd. Waltrip High, located in Oak Forest off 34th Street, is scheduled to be partially replaced and renovated.

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