Category Archives: District I – Elizabeth Santos

Houston Texans and HCC surprise cancer survivor on her birthday

Jefferson ES second-grader Genesis Cuevas may be battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, but she’s certainly not doing it alone.

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Not only did students and staff turn out en masse on Oct. 31 to surprise her with a party on her eighth birthday, she also received a campus visit from TORO the Bull, the Houston Texans’ mascot, along with two cheerleaders and Texan front-office officials Austen Smith and Brian Peden. They came bearing gifts, too, including a football signed by David Quessenberry, an offensive tackle who was diagnosed with lymphoma in June, as well as hats, T-shirts, and other gifts. Continue reading →

Burbank MS brings popular children’s author to campus for Family Literacy Night

This year, Family Literacy Night at Burbank Middle School was very special. Throughout September and October, students, staff, and community members all read Christopher Healy’s “The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom.” Then they got together on Family Literacy Night to discuss the book and had a rare opportunity to take the discussion directly to Healy, who was the night’s special guest.

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“I feel really privileged to be a part of this event,” Healy said. “From the point of view of an author, it’s unbelievable. It’s amazing that all of these kids and teachers read my book. It’s not that they’ve all just read it, but that it’s become a point of discussion in the school. People have been telling me that students are talking about it in the hallways, and teachers are discussing the characters and plotlines outside of class. That’s an amazing feeling for me — the idea of a whole school rallying around one book and the way it supports literacy.” Continue reading →

Fonville MS robotics team wins tournament its first time out

The fledgling robotics team at Fonville Middle School might be relatively new, but that doesn’t mean its members don’t know a thing or two about how to win a competition.

The Fonville team outperformed several high school teams recently to claim top honors at HISD’s VEX West competition. The students shared the title of “tournament champions” with their allies from Lamar High School, and also received the “Cooperate Award” for demonstrating extraordinary teamwork under pressure. Continue reading →

FRAC grant to bring First Class Breakfast to more high school students

Students at eight HISD high schools will now receive their first meal of the day right in their classrooms, thanks to a $64,000 grant from the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), funded by Kellogg’s corporate citizenship fund.

The money will be used to purchase equipment, food, labor, and marketing materials to implement the First Class Breakfast program at Kashmere, Lee, Madison, Milby, Sam Houston, Sterling, Washington, and Wheatley high schools. Continue reading →

Pin Oak MS wins first UIL middle school tournament of year

More than 500 middle school students spent their Saturday at Hamilton Middle School on Oct. 25, competing in the first University Interscholastic League (UIL) Middle School tournament of the 2014–2015 season.

Students from 15 schools competed: Attucks, Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan, Black, Burbank, Clifton, Cullen, Fondren, Hamilton, Johnston, Pershing, Pin Oak, Revere and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men.

Pin Oak Middle School was declared the sweepstakes champion, with Mickey Leland College Prep winning second place and Black MS taking home third.

Here are the individual results: Continue reading →

Don’t overlook your neighborhood campuses when shopping for a school

Crockett ES is not a magnet school for fine arts, but its program is top-notch due in part to art teachers like Geetha Thomas, pictured here with some of her students. Parents are encouraged to check out the offerings at their neighborhood schools first, before shopping for alternatives.

It’s fall in Houston, and that means many HISD parents are already thinking about which campuses to send their children to for the 2015–2016 school year.

But while the attraction of the district’s many magnet programs is undeniable, parents are encouraged to take a closer look at the “zoned” schools located in their neighborhoods, as sometimes a hidden gem can be right around the corner.
Continue reading →

Carnegie Vanguard HS wins top prize at UIL academics meet

More than 400 students from 14 Houston ISD schools participated in a UIL academics meet, the first of the 2014-2015 season, at Lee High School on Oct. 18.

Academics meets are held throughout the school year. They include character-building educational activities and emphasize good sportsmanship and fair play.

Here are the winners: Continue reading →

Oliver grant to let Davis HS culinary students share their knowledge

Students in Davis High School’s culinary arts program will soon be delivering lessons on cooking and healthy eating to their peers, thanks to a $3,000 grant from the Oliver Foundation.

Davis recently became the second HISD campus to receive a grant from that organization. The first was Condit ES in September. Continue reading →

A college visit to Texas A&M sparks students’ drive to succeed

The cadets in uniform, the large buildings, the football stadium, and students skateboarding and riding bicycles to class were some of the first things Yates High School senior Jason Covarrubias noticed upon arriving on the campus of Texas A&M University.

Until last week, he had never visited a college outside of Houston.

“I could go by myself on a college visit, but I’d be lost in the process,” he said. “My parents probably couldn’t go with me because they have to work, and I work on the weekends. So for HISD to do this, I really appreciate it.”

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HISD took about 120 12th graders to College Station last week to visit Texas A&M. Students from Davis, Furr, Kashmere, North Forest, Worthing, and Yates high schools and Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy boarded charter buses as early as 6:30 a.m. to participate in the day-long trip. Continue reading →

444 students compete in season’s first UIL Academics tournament

Four hundred forty-four elementary students spent their Saturday at Welch Middle School for the first competition of the 2014-2015 UIL Academics season.

Students from Condit, Cornelius, DeChaumes, Highland Heights, Horn, Law, Twain, Piney Point, and Windsor Village elementary schools, along with Energized for Excellence Academy, competed.

Horn Elementary claimed first place in sweepstakes. DeChaumes Elementary won second place in sweepstakes, and Twain Elementary took home third place.

Here are the individual results: Continue reading →