Category Archives: District I – Elizabeth Santos

Spring Visual Arts Showcase displays talent of HISD student artists

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Stroll through the halls of HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St, 77092) over the next few days, and you could see a lion, a wolf, or even a cheetah.

All of these and more are represented in original artworks created by HISD students as part of the 2015 Spring Visual Arts Showcase, which is organized annually to display the talent of student artists from across the district.

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Design process kicks off for Garden Oaks Montessori, Pilgrim Academy, Wilson Montessori

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Project Advisory Teams for Garden Oaks Montessori, Pilgrim Academy and Wilson Montessori spent two days last week in a design charrette, where they worked with architects and facilities planners to put together initial design concepts for their schools.

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Basketball showcase helps HISD girls ‘court’ scholarship offers

In February of this year, hundreds of male student-athletes got the chance to strut their stuff on the gridiron in the hopes of landing college scholarships, and a few weeks ago, it was the girls’ turn—only this time, it was on the basketball court.

More than 40 female junior and senior basketball players from HISD schools took part in the Houston Choice Select Girls Basketball Showcase on April 18. The event is sponsored by the Houston Area Coaches Association, Systems Basketball, and Houston Parks & Recreation, with assistance from the HISD Athletics department. It featured a professional skills workout with multiple scrimmages, and athletic scouts from a number of colleges and universities, including Concordia, Le Tourneau, Paul Quinn, and Tyler, were on hand to watch.

“I really enjoyed it,” said North Forest High School student Joi Simmons. “It gave me an opportunity to show off my skills and to consider other NAIA [National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics] schools for college.”

“I am so glad this opportunity is finally available for these inner city girls,” said North Forest High School Head Girls Basketball Coach Jasmin Cardenas. “I graduated from an HISD school and only wished that we had these opportunities then.”

Steady encouragement, support lead to success for HISD students with autism

This week marks the end of Autism Awareness Month, so we asked some of our parents of students with autism about their families’ experiences with HISD, to find out what they felt contributed the most to their students’ successes.

Noah poses with a trophy he won in a robotics competition.

Noah poses with a trophy he won in a robotics competition.

Kristi Anders, the parent of a 12-year-old who is finishing up his last year in elementary school, says her son has flourished at two different campuses due to the inclusive environments created there by caring staff members.

“Noah’s teachers and principal at Garden Oaks Montessori were so accepting and supportive of him,” she said. “He has had to learn his limits and figure out what works for him and what doesn’t, but we bought him noise-reducing headphones and he learned to tell people when they were in his personal space. His teacher would also send him on errands or to get a drink of water when she could see he was getting frustrated. In the third grade, Noah’s friends voted him class president.”

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J.J. Watt Foundation giving HISD after-school athletic programs a boost

Coach Wilson (L) with J.J. Watt and members of the Fondren MS football team

Coach Wilson (L) with J.J. Watt and members of the Fondren MS football team

Eight members of the Fondren Middle School football team received a big surprise on April 18.

They got to meet one of their idols that day—legendary Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt—at a special celebration held in Houston by the charity he created. As previous beneficiaries of a grant from the Justin J. Watt Foundation, the students were invited to help accept a large donation from Papa John’s Pizza, one of its biggest supporters, at the event. They also got to visit with Watt personally and ask him a few questions.

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Local chamber of commerce recognizes Heights-area educators

Two HISD employees were recognized recently for their contributions to the education of Heights-area children.

Shakiri Hooper, a clerk at Garden Oaks Montessori, has been named the Paraprofessional of the Year, while Joyce Rogers, an instructional specialist at Waltrip High School, was named the Educator of the Year by the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nominees were judged by a committee on the basis of their experience and evidence of leadership, service, and dedication to making a difference in students’ lives.

“Ms. Hooper is extremely hard-working and goal-oriented,” wrote Garden Oaks Principal Lindsey Pollock. “She is a team player who seeks win-win solutions even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds.”

“Joyce has served as a role model not only for staff, but also for students,” said former Waltrip High School Principal Andria Schur. “She takes a personal interest in motivating people to be their personal best, while also challenging them to serve as models and motivators to those around them.”

Both women will be formally recognized during the organization’s annual education luncheon on May 18.

DeBakey tops Children at Risk’s list of best Houston high schools for sixth straight year

Reagan HS, Pilgrim Academy, and 20 other campuses also rated ‘Gold Ribbon’ schools

Children at Risk released its annual list of the top schools in the greater Houston area on April 27, and for the sixth consecutive year, HISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions was listed as number one.

Four other HISD high schools were included in the top ten: Carnegie Vanguard High School (#2), the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (#4), Eastwood Academy (#7), and North Houston Early College High School (#10).

T.H. Rogers, which serves students in grades Pre-K through 8, has held steady in the number one position among the top middle schools in Houston since 2011, and ranked first at the elementary level since 2012. Other HISD schools in the top 20 were: Wharton K-8 (#5), Pin Oak (#7), Lanier (#8), and Briarmeadow Charter (#15) at the middle-school level; and West University (#2), River Oaks (#3), Horn Academy (#6), Bush (#13), Condit (#14), Oak Forest (#17), and Roberts (#19) at the elementary level.

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Austin HS and Sam Houston MSTC project teams meet to design new schools

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Project Advisory Teams from Austin HS and Sam Houston MSTC attended a charrette, or intensive workshop, where they collaborated on preliminary design plans for their new schools.

Each school’s project team – along with architects, facilities planners and project managers – spent the two-day session focused on how to design a 21st century school that will incorporate the needs of students, teachers and other stakeholders while creating an engaging learning environment.

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Top six JROTC cadets in HISD Class of 2015 honored at awards ceremony

The top six Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) cadets, who were named earlier this month, were honored on April 25 at the Annual HISD JROTC Final Review and Awards Ceremony.

All were promoted to the rank of Cadet Colonel (Army) or Cadet Captain (Navy), which are the highest ranks in the program. The top seniors were chosen from among all the graduating seniors in HISD’s 25 JROTC programs.

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Johnston MS seventh-grader wins HISD art contest

Maniscalco_400Makaila Maniscalco, a seventh-grade student at Johnston Middle School, has been named the winner of an art contest sponsored by the Office of Special Education Services.

Makaila created a mask that won first place out of 21 entries from across the district. Judging took place April 14–17 at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, and the theme of the contest was “Who Am I?”

Makaila relies upon her memory of color, and used her tactile senses to color different parts of the piece. She likes the mask because it “keeps the viewer’s eye moving and guessing about who the mask might represent.”

As the winner of the contest, Makaila’s artwork will become the logo for the 2015 Special Education Conference, which will take place July 21–23 at Westbury High School.

Finalists were Tatum Brooks (Westside HS), Javier Gutierrez (Lamar HS), Jonathan Reyna (T.H. Rogers), and Hailey Hernandez (Wainwright ES).