Category Archives: District III – Daniela Hernandez

HISD schools sweep recycling bin decorating contest

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He may have cardboard for horns and empty plastic water bottles for brains, but that hasn’t stopped the Milby High School mascot from making a big impression on visitors to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092).

Students from that school’s Peace Club decorated a 96-gallon recycling bin from the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department as part of an art contest called “Growing Up Recycling,” and their submission won the $500 first prize. Continue reading →

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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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 →

Brookline Elementary Student Council donates to House of Tiny Treasures

Students at Brookline Elementary School learn about community service each year by raising money for a local charity. This year, Brookline Elementary Student Council president Jayla Aguilar presented backpacks and a check for $200 to Mitzi Bartlett, the program director at the House of Tiny Treasures daycare center.  Continue reading →

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:

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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.

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Milby HS student wins national digital storytelling contest

Nancy Casarrubias

Nancy Casarrubias

Milby High School’s library is a place “where learning never ends,” and now, the whole world knows it.

Senior Nancy Casarrubias created a five-minute video showcasing her library (and its librarian, Rowena Verdin) for a digital storytelling contest sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians—and her entry won in the high-school category (grades 9–12).

The contest challenged students to show how their school library/librarian helps advance their education by encouraging them to learn new things, fine-tune their research skills, and discover how to make the most of available resources. The focus of entries was the 2015 School Library Month theme, “Your School Library: Where Learning Never Ends.”

 

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Basketball showcase helps HISD girls ‘court’ scholarship offers

In February of this year, hundreds of male student-athletes got the chance to strut their stuff on the gridiron in the hopes of landing college scholarships, and a few weeks ago, it was the girls’ turn—only this time, it was on the basketball court.

More than 40 female junior and senior basketball players from HISD schools took part in the Houston Choice Select Girls Basketball Showcase on April 18. The event is sponsored by the Houston Area Coaches Association, Systems Basketball, and Houston Parks & Recreation, with assistance from the HISD Athletics department. It featured a professional skills workout with multiple scrimmages, and athletic scouts from a number of colleges and universities, including Concordia, Le Tourneau, Paul Quinn, and Tyler, were on hand to watch.

“I really enjoyed it,” said North Forest High School student Joi Simmons. “It gave me an opportunity to show off my skills and to consider other NAIA [National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics] schools for college.”

“I am so glad this opportunity is finally available for these inner city girls,” said North Forest High School Head Girls Basketball Coach Jasmin Cardenas. “I graduated from an HISD school and only wished that we had these opportunities then.”

Austin HS maritime program christens navigation simulator

AustinHS_BridgeSimul_400While navigating rough water is a tough job, actually learning the finer points of navigation is even tougher. Students at HISD’s Stephen F. Austin High School for Maritime Studies have a new tool that will make that learning process a little easier—and certainly more comprehensive. Students, faculty, staff, and members of HISD administration and Houston’s maritime industry christened the school’s very own navigation simulator on April 24. Continue reading →

J.J. Watt Foundation giving HISD after-school athletic programs a boost

Coach Wilson (L) with J.J. Watt and members of the Fondren MS football team

Coach Wilson (L) with J.J. Watt and members of the Fondren MS football team

Eight members of the Fondren Middle School football team received a big surprise on April 18.

They got to meet one of their idols that day—legendary Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt—at a special celebration held in Houston by the charity he created. As previous beneficiaries of a grant from the Justin J. Watt Foundation, the students were invited to help accept a large donation from Papa John’s Pizza, one of its biggest supporters, at the event. They also got to visit with Watt personally and ask him a few questions.

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