Category Archives: District I – Elizabeth Santos

Contractor for Waltrip and Lee high schools holds pre-bid meeting

Satterfield & Pontikes this week held a pre-bid conference for sub-contractors interested in submitting proposals to work on building projects at Waltrip and Lee High Schools. The construction firm is the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for the two schools and hosted the standing-room-only meeting to provide an opportunity for contractors to hear an overview of the projects and ask questions before submitting bids.

“We’re really pleased with the turnout,” said David Webb, Satterfield and Pontikes’ chief estimator. “We want to take as many bids as possible back to the district.”

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Attend the district’s Digital Learning Expo March 12

HISD’s efforts to digitally transform teaching and learning in national spotlight for #DLDay

At Burbank Middle School, students are creating videos about their future and life goals using Adobe Voice (see video below). At Herrera Elementary, students are using tablets and digital programs such as iMovie, Animoto, Prezi, and Roxio to produce digital book trailers instead of a standard book report. And at Austin High School, teachers are using the HUB, the district’s new online learning platform, to create online discussions and group activities.

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Every day, students and teachers across the district are using digital tools and resources to transform teaching and learning inside their classrooms.  On Thursday, March 12, from 4 to 5 p.m., teachers and students from nearly 50 HISD campuses will gather in the lobby of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77018) to showcase their efforts at the district’s first ever Digital Learning Expo.

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Fonville Middle School gearing up for CSTEM competition

FVilleMS_CSTEM2015_300Students at Fonville Middle School are already getting ready for the Southeast National CSTEM Challenge on April 17 and 18.

The school hosted its kick-off celebration on Feb. 28, and CSTEM board member Ahmad Shaheed was the keynote speaker. Shaheed, who also works as an engineer, discussed the importance of studying engineering, math, and science. Students also heard encouraging words from Principal Iris Reyes.

“It’s imperative that students be proficient and build their knowledge base in creativity, math, science, and writing,” said technology teacher Vania Willms. “Students have learned the challenges for the 2014–2015 school year and started working on their projects, which incorporate solutions for the oil, gas, and wind industries.”

HISD’s vision of producing global graduates grows with each new IB world school

Herrera Elementary School is officially celebrating its new status this week as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, the latest HISD campus to receive official authorization. Herrera joins nine other HISD elementary schools with IB authorization – Durham, Harvard, Northline, River Oaks, Roberts, Rodriguez, School at St. George Place, Twain, and Wharton Dual Language Academy. The growing number of IB schools in HISD, now a total of 17, reflects the district’s vision of preparing students to succeed in a multicultural world.

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Parents of student athletes sing praises of annual Football Showcase

Last month, the seventh annual Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase (GHSFS) took place, and hundreds of student athletes came to NRG Stadium’s practice bubble that day in the hopes of landing an academic scholarship.

The event turned out to be a huge success, as of the 468 students who showed up this year, 374 of them—or a whopping 80 percent—were offered scholarships. And while the tallies of this year’s scholarship dollars still aren’t in yet, the totals have topped $10 million for each of the past four years. Continue reading →

It’s on to regional hoop quarterfinals for five HISD teams

Five HISD boys’ basketball teams will play Monday and Tuesday in the University Interscholastic League regional quarterfinals.

Defending state champions Yates will see the tipoff for their games against Pflugerville at 6 p.m. Monday at Rudder High School in Bryan. The game was postponed from the weekend because of weather that made driving hazardous.

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HISD students head ‘em up and move ‘em out for Go Texan Day

HISD students kicked off Go Texan Day and Houston’s rodeo season by meeting some real cowboys and their horses. The trail ride tradition was brought to life for the students as Horseshoes from the Heart drove their wagons, along with wagons from the Los Vaqueros Rio Grande Trail Ride Association, the Bellaire FFA and the Alabama Coushatta Dance Troupe, past seven southwest Houston schools. Continue reading →

Middle school girls get hands-on introduction to STEM careers

EYH 2015

Students from Burbank MS had a blast at the Expanding Your Horizons conference.

Hundreds of HISD middle school girls spent Sat., Feb. 21, learning about math and science careers at the Expanding Your Horizons conference.

Female professionals talked to students from Black, Burbank, Grady, Henry and Revere middle schools, and the Baylor College of Medicine Academy about a variety of STEM careers. The students worked with a 3-D printer, learned about storing DNA, created cement, and developed butterfly gardens.

The West Harris County Branch of the American Association of University Women hosted the conference.

HISD teams see district basketball playoff action

Teams from 12 Houston ISD high schools — including last year’s state champion Yates HS — launch district basketball playoffs this week.

North Forest, Sharpstown, Madison, and Sterling all have their first games Monday, with Yates, Sam Houston, Bellaire, Lamar, Westside, Scarborough, Worthing, and Wheatley seeing action Tuesday.

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Author visits build love of literacy through inspiration, encouragement

Author Barney Saltzberg with Visual Art Specialist Rebecca Stewart

Author Barney Saltzberg with Visual Art Specialist Rebecca Stewart

Whether you’re five, 15, or 55 years old, it can still be a thrilling experience to meet someone who actually created a book you enjoyed. If it makes a big enough impression, the experience can even make you a reader for life.

That’s why a number of HISD schools regularly invite popular authors to visit their campuses as part of the district’s literacy initiatives, such as Harvard ES, Patterson and Red elementaries, and Burbank Middle School.

Barney Saltzberg was the latest writer/illustrator to bring inspiration and encouragement to students. He came to Memorial Elementary School on Feb. 13.

“His visit was awesome,” said Visual Art Specialist Rebecca Stewart. “He spoke about not being a very good student. He said he was terrible at spelling. No one—not even his parents—was very optimistic that he would ever do anything significant, because he had such a hard time in school. But he loved to draw, so he drew all the time. When he went to art school, he still didn’t think he was very good, but a teacher looked at his drawing one day and said, ‘You need to write a book with that character.’ So he did. And the little boy who had such a hard time at spelling is now a best-selling author with more than a million books in print.” Continue reading →