The Houston Ballet awarded ballet scholarships to six of the 25 Wainwright ES first- and second-graders who were selected to participate in the organization’s “Chance to Dance” program. The ballet provided six weeks of classes, as well as transportation to their Center for Dance in downtown Houston.
Category Archives: District II – Kathy Blueford-Daniels
Read Houston Read volunteers recognized for service to students
In 71 hours, a person can ride a bicycle from Paris, France, to Brest and back or complete 48 orbits of planet earth. For Mimie Taylor, who was honored at Thursday’s Read Houston Read Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, those 71 hours were best spent helping first-graders improve their reading skills at Garcia Elementary School.
“Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to Read Houston Read and my scholars,” said Taylor brightly.
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Young Audiences honors HISD high schools with arts awards
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Young Audiences of Houston’s celebrated their 59th year of providing arts education to the Houston area at their annual gala on May 7, where they presented Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy (YWCPA) and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men (MLCPA) with 2015 Arts Empowerment Awards.
HISD, Arts Access Initiative partnership to expand arts education in 11 schools
The Houston Independent School District and the City of Houston’s Arts Access Initiative joined forces Tuesday to announce a new partnership that will provide additional arts education programs at 10 elementary schools and one middle school.
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The partnership will directly connect schools to area arts organizations, providing 7,000 students with hands-on, arts-related experiences both in and out of the classroom. In addition to workshops and programs offered at the school, students also will have the opportunity to see performances and visit museums and arts venues. Continue reading
Board president to host District II Parent Leader Summit on May 16
HISD Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones has partnered with the Family Learning Academy to host the District II Parent Leader Summit on Saturday, May 16.
The free event will take place at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092) from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will connect families with resources to help parents navigate HISD’s programs and services, become leaders in their school community, and support student success.
The event will feature a panel of HISD principals and administrators, parenting workshops, and a community resource fair with information for parents on building a parent organization, fundraising, and services for parents. John Robinson, director of Family Support Services for the Houston Area Urban League, will give the keynote address.
“In a district as large as ours, it is not always clear who parents can turn to when they have a question or need help for their child,” said Skillern-Jones. “I want to help empower our parents to seek out these resources and share them with their school communities.”
Registration and a light breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. The panel and all workshops will be held in English and Spanish. The event will also feature raffles and lunch. For more details, please visit www.houstonisd.org/FLA or call the HISD Family and Community Engagement Department at 713-556-7290.
Help pick the ‘Fan Favorite’ among HISD campus Teachers of the Year
Winner to be announced May 15 at Celebration of Excellence
New this year at the HISD Celebration of Excellence is the Fan Favorite award. Over the past week, HISD staff, students, and alumni have been voting for their favorite campus-based Teacher of the Year, as designated by schools across the district. More than 25,000 votes were submitted and tallied—and the top two elementary, middle, and high school teachers are moving on to round two of voting. The top six finalists are:
Middle school students win Target shopping spree
The Moran Norris Foundation is treating 150 students from six HISD middle schools to a shopping spree on Friday, May 8, 2015, at Target South Central, 6500 South Main, 77025.
In the “Shopping for Good Character” program, students from Cullen, Dowling, McReynolds, Marshall, and M.C. Williams middle schools, as well as Woodson Leadership Academy, were selected by their teachers for excellent attendance, great character, and the ability to make good choices. Each student receives $100 to purchase items for themselves and family members. They are also treated to lunch, courtesy of the foundation.
Hamilton MS ‘Scratch Off’ contest gives students a taste of coding careers
The team from McGowen ES, who won first place in the beginner division
About 50 teams of students from various HISD elementary and middle schools came together on the campus of Hamilton Middle School May 2, and all were eager to test their mettle as coders in the school’s inaugural “Scratch Off” contest.
Named in honor of the free programming language developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the competition challenged students to complete 20 tasks using Scratch, such as making an animated character called a “sprite” change color or move in particular ways on the screen.
By the time the competition was over, Pin Oak Middle School had nailed down the victory in the advanced division, while a team of students from McGowen Elementary School took home the laurels in the beginner division. Continue reading
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.
High School Ahead Academy bus driver honored for going above and beyond
High School Ahead Academy bus driver Clarissa Davis had no idea she would be recognized for going above and beyond her daily route assignment to help a student in need.
HISD Transportation Manager Alan Delaney, High School Ahead Academy bus driver Clarissa Davis and HISD Senior Manager Chandra Robertson
But Davis and four other HISD employees and volunteers were honored for their services during a special luncheon held on April 30. She says she has only been with the district since last November and was surprised to discover she would be receiving an award for simply doing her job.
“I’m really humbled,” Davis said. “I just treat students how I would want anyone else to treat my own children.”