Category Archives: 21st century schools

Young Women’s College Prep community hears update on plans for historic campus

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Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy, among HISD’s oldest school buildings, will undergo a $27.1 million renovation/addition that will expand learning spaces throughout the current building and add modern science and technology labs to enhance STEM curriculum.

Plans are in place to preserve much of the historic building, as well as the facade, and transform what now are three separate buildings into one cohesive structure.

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Share your innovative projects with us on Digital Learning Day Feb. 17

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Digital Learning Day is Wednesday, Feb. 17, and HISD is inviting all of its teachers to share all of the innovative instructional practices taking place in their classrooms on social media using the hashtag #HISDdigital.

Digital Learning Day was created by the Alliance for Excellent Education, a national policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved, graduate from high school prepared for success in college, work, and citizenship.

In honor of Digital Learning Day, HISD is observing the entire month of February as Digital Learning Month for all K–12 campuses. Earlier this month, more than 30 HISD schools were represented at the second annual Digital Learning Expo, which was held Feb. 11 at the district’s Hattie Mae White Educational Resource Center. Students from all grades proudly demonstrated a wide range of digital projects, including musical bananas, large and small robots, book trailers created with Animoto, and mobile apps created with coding. The event was held just prior to the regular monthly Board of Education meeting to show trustees, district employees, and community partners how HISD students are using technology to transform teaching and learning.

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New classroom wing at Grady MS is open for learning

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Grady Middle School students stepped inside their new $14.8 million classroom wing today – the first day of classes in the new building. With natural light streaming into classrooms and shared collaborative spaces, and flexible furniture placed throughout, the new wing truly reflects a modern learning environment.

The addition completes the multi-phase master plan for the campus that was begun with funds from the 2007 bond. The building features a core classroom wing with 24 classrooms, six science labs, six learning commons, and three administrative suites. Student capacity at the school is now expanded from 580 to 850 students.

DeBakey HS holds beam-signing event to celebrate new campus

Students, staff and community members from DeBakey High School for Health Professions gathered on the construction site for its new school on Wednesday to sign a steel beam that will be used in the building.

The new $64.5 million building project is being built under HISD’s current bond program located on the western side of the Medical Center complex on land donated by the Medical Center.

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DeBakey will receive a new 198,000-square-foot building five-stories high to  accommodate 900 to 1,000 students. The facility will feature state-of-the-art medical training equipment with teaching labs for dental, rehabilitation, and patient care. These will include mock hospital rooms and science labs designed to mimic real-world research labs.

“It’s pretty impressive,” said DeBakey ninth-grader Lucy Zhang. “It’s going to be amazing once it’s completed, and we’re able to move in and go to school here. It’s much bigger, and I feel that it gives an opportunity for larger classrooms and preferably more room to do hands on activities.”

After the beam-signing, workers will transport it to the construction site to install in the new building, scheduled to open for students in August 2017.

Flexible furniture complements modern learning environments across HISD

Construction at Grady Middle School, January 8, 2016.

Interior work is underway in the new wing at Grady Middle School.

With construction well underway on schools throughout HISD, a few are beginning to put the finishing touches on their buildings—including installation of furniture that will bring 21st century learning to life.

Under the bond program, a total of 40 schools are currently being built or renovated with flexible and innovative learning spaces. Inside of each building, flexible furniture will be included in the learning spaces to move beyond the traditional classroom of four walls, white board, and fixed desks and chairs.

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HISD Board of Education approves $212.4 million additional bond funding proposal

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday approved a funding proposal that would add up to $212.4 million to the bond program to cover significant increases in inflation and construction costs.

The proposal passed 8 to 1 with Trustee Juliet Stipeche casting the dissenting vote. Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education to consider $212.4 million in additional bond funding

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday will consider a funding proposal that would add up to $212.4 million to the bond program to cover significant increases in inflation and construction costs.

If approved, the additional money would help the district ensure all bond projects are completed as described to voters in the 2012 election. Voters overwhelmingly approved a $1.89 billion bond calling for the reconstruction or renovation of 40 schools across the district, including 29 high schools. Continue reading →

Key to new DeBakey HS campus? Location, location, location

Construction on HISD’s new DeBakey High School for Health Professions is well underway, and the new location in Houston’s world-class Texas Medical Center is expected to forge even closer bonds with the medical community.

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HISD construction projects moving forward

All but one project expected to be under construction contract by the end of 2016.

Houston Independent School District construction projects are continuing to move forward with Sharpstown High School slated to soon become the 16th bond project with active construction underway.

The HISD Board of Education voted Thursday to hire a new contractor for Sharpstown, unanimously agreeing to let district administrators negotiate and finalize a construction contract worth up to $46 million with ICI Construction.

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Furr HS breaks ground on ‘bigger and better’ new school

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Students, staff, alumni and other stakeholders of Furr High School gathered at the school on Thursday to break ground on a new $55 million campus, which is part of HISD’s $1.89 billion bond program.

“It’s a gigantic day for Furr High School,” said Principal Bertie Simmons. “There are so many exciting things about the new school – it’s going to be amazing.”

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