Category Archives: District II – Kathy Blueford-Daniels

Mock wedding ceremony joins math and reading at annual family night

Fleming Middle School recently hosted its annual Family Math Night for parents and students. This year’s event combined mathematics along with the district’s Literacy by 3 movement. The highlight of the evening was a mock wedding ceremony between “numeracy” and “literacy” in an effort to help parents and students understand how reading and math can be combined in the classroom to create academic success. Parents also got to actively participate in a variety of hands-on activities that reflected the daily work that their scholars are engaged in.

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Planning and design for 2012 bond schools in final groups is ahead of schedule

HISD’s project teams are moving forward ahead of schedule with the planning and design of 21st century campuses in the last two groups of schools being renovated or rebuilt under the 2012 bond program.

As part of the process, Project Advisory Teams (PATs) made up of teachers, parents, students, community representatives, architects and staff, have been formed at each school and have begun meeting monthly. This puts Group 3 schools about six months ahead and Group 4 schools about 12 months ahead of schedule.

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Student teams to compete at VEX Robotics tournament at Space Center Houston

The robotics club at the newly-renamed Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men is hosting a VEX robotics tournament on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Space Center Houston (1601 NASA Parkway, 77058). Now in its third year, the Knights of Engineering Robotics Club at the all-boys academy is inviting families from throughout HISD to attend the tournament, which is expected to last most of the day.

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eNews Highlight: Furr HS alumna on the value of ‘the road less-traveled’

EMERGE graduate gives advice on the importance of taking risks in this week’s edition

Graduating seniors face a dizzying array of choices when considering a college to attend. In addition to selecting programs and possible majors, students have to decide whether to stay close to home or leave everything familiar behind by enrolling in a university thousands of miles away.

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HISD schools awarded STEM grants from ExxonMobil

Samuel Saenz

A proposal submitted by East Early College High School recently won the school a grant from ExxonMobil that will help fund science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs for girls.

Science teacher Samuel Saenz applied for the company’s Southeastern Consortium Minorities in Engineering (SECME) mini-grant by submitting a proposal entitled “G-3 (Girls, Gears & Gadgets): A Program to Encourage Girls from Economically Disadvantaged Families to Consider STEM Related Career Choice.” The proposal outlines a plan to form a girls’ robotics and engineering team that will not only program robots for competition, but encourage younger students from feeder schools to explore STEM career possibilities. Continue reading

Former ACP Teacher of the Year now has his eyes on the Fishman Prize

Physics teacher Adeeb Barqawi works with his students at Kashmere High School, April 14, 2014. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Physics teacher Adeeb Barqawi works with his students at Kashmere High School on April 14, 2014.

When Adeeb Barqawi first started teaching during the 2012–2013 school year, he had no idea how quickly success would come to him.

But in June of 2013, he was named the Alternative Certification Program Teacher of the Year for the entire State of Texas, and the following February, his approach to instruction was highlighted in a Breakthroughs feature of the district’s eNews publication. This led to accolades from the mayor and Houston City Council in April of 2014, and now, the high school physics instructor is hoping the combination of his teaching philosophy and his students’ achievements will bring him recognition on the national stage. 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

Pumpkins get a makeover as schools explore literacy through art

In HISD, people aren’t the only ones donning costumes this Halloween. In an effort to get students excited about reading, pumpkins across the district have been painted, polished, and primped to depict dozens of children’s favorite literary figures.

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