Category Archives: District III – Daniela Hernandez

Milby HS celebrates the old and the new at grand opening ceremony

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“It’s a great day to be a Milby Buffalo!” exclaimed HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza as hundreds of attendees cheered with pride and excitement at Milby High School’s highly anticipated grand opening celebration Thursday.

Current and former Milby Buffs filled the new school as the Milby Marching Thunder Band and Charlie’s Angels pumped up the crowd at HISD’s largest ribbon-cutting ceremony to date. Shiny gold and blue decorations adorned the large learning commons area, which showcases a combination of new construction alongside the historical front façade of the school.

Continue reading →

Grand opening celebration for new Milby HS set for Thursday

Construction at Milby High School, June 21, 2017. (Dave Einsel/Houston ISD)

Milby High School will host a grand opening on Thursday at 5 p.m. to celebrate the completion of its new facility, which was rebuilt as part of the Houston Independent School District’s 2012 Bond Program.

The three-story, $79 million project is a combination of new construction and renovation that preserves the historical front facade while creating a modern learning environment for 2,000 students.

The historic, front-facing main building has been transformed into a bright, open student-union-style space with a dining commons, learning commons, and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto a large courtyard. Continue reading →

HISD trustees appoint José Leal to fill District III seat until special election in November

The Houston ISD Board of Education voted to appoint José Leal to fill the seat left vacant after the death of longtime District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr last month. Board members chose Leal unanimously during a special meeting Monday afternoon.

Leal has more than 20 years of classroom experience. His career with HISD started in 1981, when he worked in operations and maintenance. He has worked as a bilingual teacher at Pugh Elementary School, a counselor and dean of students at Hamilton Middle School, and an assistant principal at Wheatley High School. He has also been a dean of students at Meyerland Middle School, assistant principal at North Forest High School, and a counselor at YES Prep Northbrook. He is currently a special education teacher at Houston Can Academies.

“Jose Leal was the only candidate who met the caretaker qualifications the board was looking for in this temporary appointment,” Board President Wanda Adams said. “The board would like to thank the other candidates who wanted to volunteer their time.”

Leal will be sworn in on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, and will serve at the Board of Education’s next monthly meeting on Sept. 14, 2017. He will serve until a special election is called by the board at its monthly meeting on Aug. 10. That special election will be held Nov. 7.

Community gathers to honor late Trustee Rodríguez at board auditorium naming ceremony

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The family of late District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr., along with elected officials, educators, and community members, gathered at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Thursday to dedicate the board auditorium in his name.

Rodríguez, who passed away July 19, was a lifelong public servant and a trustee for 14 years. He was also a product of HISD schools, graduating from Austin High School in 1970 after attending Franklin Elementary and McReynolds Middle schools. His wife and four children also attended HISD schools.

“Today is a day of joy as we leave behind a legacy for the Rodríguez family,” said HISD Board of Education President Wanda Adams. Continue reading →

HISD Trustees to host ceremony naming board auditorium after Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr.

The HISD Board of Trustees continues to mourn the loss of longtime Board of Trustees member Manuel Rodríguez Jr. In an effort to celebrate his life and memory, the board voted unanimously during its monthly agenda review session to name the board auditorium at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center the Manuel Rodríguez Jr. Board Auditorium.

Prior to the monthly Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, Aug. 10, the board will host a reception to commemorate the renaming. That celebration is open to the public and will include a proclamation by Trustee Rodríguez’s longtime friend, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and other presentations.

“Trustee Rodríguez spent 14 years fighting in this auditorium for the students in District III and across the district to have access to the highest quality education HISD could provide for them,” says Board President Wanda Adams.  “We remain saddened by his loss, but it was only fitting that we do this small gesture to remind everyone of the warrior that fought here for so long.”

“The decision the board made to name the auditorium after Trustee Rodríguez shows the level of respect they all have for the work he did throughout his tenure to make HISD a better place for all students,” said Superintendent Richard Carranza. “From now on, every time anyone walks into the board auditorium, they will be reminded of a man who dedicated years to helping our students.”

The ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. in the lobby of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. There will be a ribbon-cutting around 4:30 p.m., and a brief video presentation inside the newly-named auditorium. The board will proceed with its regularly scheduled meeting immediately following the ceremony.

Please RSVP to ywences@HoustonISD.org by Aug. 8.

 

HISD Board names auditorium after late District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr.

The HISD Board of Education honored the late District III Trustee Manuel Rodríguez Jr. by naming the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center auditorium The Manuel Rodríguez Jr. Board Auditorium during their monthly agenda review meeting on Monday.

Rodríguez, who passed away this month, served as a board member for 14 years. He was elected to the board in 2003 and held every office, including assistant secretary, second vice president, first vice president, and president of the Board of Education. Continue reading →

‘Feast of Art’ offers variety of fine arts performances 

Schools in the Chavez High School feeder pattern hosted a fine arts showcase, “A Feast of Art,” on Saturday, May 20 at Chavez High School to celebrate artistic successes achieved by students in District III during the 2016-2017 school year.

The fine arts showcase, part of a larger effort to increase arts access in the area, featured visual artwork created by students from Bellfort Early Childhood Center; Bonner, Lewis, Patterson, Park Place, and Rucker elementary schools; Ortiz and Stevenson middle schools; and Chavez High School.    Continue reading →

‘Feast of Art’ to showcase effort to boost fine arts in District III 

Schools in the Chavez High School feeder pattern will host the first fine arts showcase, “A Feast of Art,” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 20 at Chavez High School (8501 Howard, Houston, 77017) as part of a larger effort to increase arts access in the area.

The fine arts showcase will feature visual artwork created by students from the following schools: Bellfort Early Childhood Center; Bonner, Lewis, Patterson, Park Place, and Rucker elementary schools; Ortiz and Stevenson middle schools; and Chavez High School.   Continue reading →

Construction Services administrative team tours new Milby, DeBakey high schools

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HISD Construction Services administrative staff excitedly boarded a big yellow school bus last Friday, eager to tour several district construction sites and see the fruits of their labor.

“It really is a team effort to build these schools,” said Derrick Sanders, HISD’s officer of Construction Services. “Our administrative staff is as important to what we’re doing as the architect or project manager, so I wanted them to get a firsthand look at what they are helping to build.”

The group of about 20 staffers got to walk through the newly constructed Milby High School and DeBakey High School for Health Professions, both of which will open this summer. The field trip also included a drive-by of High School for Law and Justice, Yates High School, and Energy Institute High School, which are all well into construction. Continue reading →

HISD elementary students’ poetry, artwork featured in Houston Symphony production

Poetry and artwork created by second grade students from Patterson Elementary School will be featured in the Houston Symphony’s Carnival of the Animals jazz production Saturday at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts.

With guidance from the Houston Symphony, the students wrote poetry based on the movement of each animal featured in the show and their personal interpretation of the music. To complement their poetry, the students also created visual art, which will be on display in the Jones Hall lobby on Saturday and Sunday.

Patterson, a dual language literature magnet school, was selected for the Houston Symphony’s School Residency program, designed to provide music education experiences for second-graders while exploring connections between music and literacy. As part of the program, the school receives two pre-concert classroom visits and one post-concert visit led by the Houston Symphony community-embedded musicians.

The program also is part of the district’s fine arts initiative to ensure students in the Chavez High School feeder pattern have the opportunity to continue learning about art, drama, and music from elementary through high school.

The Carnival of the Animals production is scheduled for 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 18 at Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana St.