Category Archives: District I – Elizabeth Santos

Waltrip HS junior chosen to serve on Souper Bowl of Caring’s youth advisory board

 (Houston Independent School District)Jonathan Simmons, a student at HISD’s Waltrip High School, has been chosen to serve on the Souper Bowl of Caring’s (SBOC) national youth advisory board this year.

The junior was one of only 14 students selected from across the nation to participate, and Jonathan was chosen after completing a rigorous application process that required students to submit a number of essays explaining why they wanted to serve.

As a part of his board duties, Jonathan delivered a speech in front of 500 guests—including Houston Texans CEO Bob McNair—at that organization’s Tackle Hunger Houston luncheon on Sept. 30. Continue reading

Benbrook ES students celebrate their library makeover

Excitement was in the air as the faculty and staff of Benbrook Elementary School awaited the grand opening of their new library. Target, in partnership with the Heart of America Foundation, funded a total makeover for the school’s library. Volunteers from local Target stores put the finishing touches on the furnishings and shelved the last of the new books just moments before HISD Superintendent Terry Grier, Heather Cook from U.S. Rep. Ted Poe’s office and State Rep. Jessica Farrar joined the celebration.

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“When you can look across a big wonderful city like Houston and you can find corporate sponsors like Target who care, who care about the kids, who care about the communities in which their stores are located,” said Grier, “it just makes Houston a can-do, special kind of place.” Continue reading

The creative side of technology: Chevron program fuels Clifton MS STEM education

Imagination, creativity, problem-solving, and technology joined forces at Clifton Middle School with a generous donation from Chevron and its Fuel Your School program. Chevron donated MaKey MaKeys to Clifton MS and teacher Jawad Tahiri’s engineering and technology classes.

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“At Clifton, we believe that at this age, they should be totally fluent in the language of technology, so we put cutting-edge…latest technology in their hands,” said Tahiri. Continue reading

Ivy Plus College Night shows students they can get accepted into a top college

Madison High School senior Jamie Russell has his heart set on attending the University of Texas or Texas A&M University, but he came to Ivy Plus College Night Monday anyway to weigh his options and learn about the nation’s top colleges.

“My counselor told me this would be a good chance to learn about top colleges and see what opportunities they have for students in higher education,” said Russell, who is currently ranked No. 7 in his senior class. “I’m getting good advice on financial aid and the (college) application process.”

Hundreds of high school students from across the district attended Ivy Plus College Night at Reagan HS to get tips on how to increase their chances of getting accepted into a top tier college such as Yale, Harvard, Rice, and Duke. All of the colleges represented at the event are ranked among the top 100 by U.S. News & World Report.

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Family Learning Academy offers parents resources for college and career planning

Houston ISD wants to help parents be ready for when their children graduate and go on to college or join the workforce. The district’s Family and Community Engagement Department is holding a Family Learning Academy to give tips and let parents know about the options available.

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Patricio Dominguez attended the first Family Learning Academy Super Saturday, which was held at Jones Futures Academy, to find out how to save money.
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‘Ivy Plus’ College Night brings nation’s top colleges to HISD

Houston ISD high school students will meet with admissions representatives from colleges and universities ranked among the top 100 by U.S. News & World Report at the district’s Ivy Plus College Night on Monday, Oct. 6.

High school juniors and seniors are strongly encouraged to attend the event, which is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. at Reagan High School, 413 E. 13th Street. Ivy Plus College Night includes a college expo featuring various top tier universities such as Yale, Harvard, Rice, and Duke.

Students and their families will have the opportunity to participate in college admissions workshops to learn about scholarships and financial aid resources and how to increase a student’s chances of getting accepted into these colleges. Continue reading

Young scholars rewarded for meeting literacy goals

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Usually, the benefits of reading include a bigger vocabulary, greater word comprehension, and better conversation skills, but dozens of HISD students received a different type of reward recently from two of the district’s community partners for focusing on literacy over the summer.

Most of the students were recognized for participating in the district’s Extended Primary Year program, which was offered at 29 elementary schools.

“The HISD Literacy Team joined forces with Strategic Partnerships and Elves & More to award bicycles to 100 children who met their literacy goals, had excellent attendance and conduct, and exemplified a can-do attitude,” explained Literacy Director Cindy Puryear. “The Literacy Team will partner with Elves & More again this holiday season to reward more that 7,000 scholars for their hard work and determination. One thousand of those will be rewarded for meeting or exceeding their literacy goals.” Continue reading

HISD families invited to attend fall Family Learning Academy events

Do you want your child to excel in school? Get into college? Find a rewarding career?

We can help!

This fall, HISD launches the Family Learning Academy – a series of free events to connect district and community resources that support student success with HISD families across the city. Continue reading