Category Archives: District VI – Kendall Baker

Site work in progress for new Sharpstown HS

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Sharpstown High School is receiving $54.9 million for a school that will accommodate 1,300 to 1,500 students. Construction is gearing up with preliminary site work.

The new school will feature a two-story, light-filled atrium, classrooms equipped with modern technology grouped into neighborhoods, flexible learning spaces, a large dining commons, gymnasium, JROTC building and fine arts wing. Site preparation currently is in progress, and underground piping is scheduled to begin in mid-January.

Target completion is set for the first quarter of 2017.

Photo gallery of HISD building projects

New Mark White ES set to open for 2016-2017 school year

Mark White Elementary is a new $23.4 million school, which is being built on 10 acres of land on Old Farm Road between Buffalo Bayou and Westheimer.

The school will accommodate 750 students and relieve overcrowding in five existing schools located in the west Houston area. The school also will feature elements of LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) and hopefully will become one of the best examples of a LEED school in the country.

Designs for White Elementary show the center of the campus facing a multipurpose and dining room, and includes an amphitheater and two driveways for bus and student drop-off. The second floor will have two classroom wings connected by a bridge-like corridor with views to the outside. Each classroom will have direct access to a shared collaborative learning commons area. In line with the nature theme of the campus, a “treehouse” gathering space also will be located on the second floor to provide a view below to the multipurpose room.

The school is scheduled to be ready for the start of the 2016-2017 school year.

Photo gallery of HISD building projects

Askew ES bond project year-end update

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Askew is receiving a new school to accommodate 850 students, with a budget of $26.6 million. Based on stakeholder feedback from the first community meeting held in July, the project team spent time this fall making design modifications.

The design features a two-story building erected on the north side of the property, with the front entrance remaining south-facing on Wood Lodge. The building plans provide for ample natural light, flexible learning spaces, and areas to accommodate outdoor learning opportunities. Many of the trees will be preserved, and the playground will feature a walking/jogging path that will be available for community use.

The second community meeting will be scheduled in the first quarter 2016. Construction is expected to start in the third quarter 2016, and take about 18 months to complete.

Photo gallery of HISD building projects

New Sharpstown International ahead of schedule

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Sharpstown International is slated to receive renovations to its existing facilities and site improvements with a total program budget of $6.1 million. The project is comprised of three portions: updating and securing the main entrance, renovating the large breezeways to provide more flexible learning spaces, and building additional learning centers or flex lab spaces.

The main entrance will be retrofitted with a security vestibule that will provide controlled access and also give the building an updated modern feel. A pod of flexible learning spaces will be constructed in the heart of the campus, which is currently an internal courtyard. The main existing corridors, which are covered and partially open to the elements, will be updated, enclosed and air conditioned to make the space more inviting and usable for a variety of student and community activities.

The project is well ahead of schedule and is expected to begin construction in the first half of 2016, and take about 18 months to complete.

Photo gallery of HISD building projects

HISD announces partnership with Taipei Department of Education

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The Houston Independent School District joined Thursday with the Department of Education in Taipei to celebrate the formalization of an international partnership between the two organizations.

The Partnerships in Education agreement formally solidifies the friendship between the two entities, allowing the pair to become “sister” organizations. It includes opportunities for the sharing of educational information, coursework and teaching methods between HISD and educators in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, a world leader in information technologies. Continue reading →

Five campuses celebrate neighborhood parks during SPARK Park Week

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A tennis court, a pond, landscaping, vertical gardens and a volleyball court are just a few of the new features at a brand-new SPARK park at Clifton Middle School.

Clifton is one of five HISD campus that took part in observing SPARK (School Park) Week from Nov. 14-21, which celebrates the transformation of public school grounds into neighborhood parks — a collaborative effort involving the City of Houston, Harris County, HISD, parent-teacher groups, and the community.

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HISD students performing in the Nutcracker

HISD is well represented in Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” this holiday season. Many students are performing in the Houston Ballet’s popular production. The children have been rehearsing since October 10 to be party children and clowns. There are eight casts of children, so they don’t have to appear in every performance. Two middle school students are performing with the Houston Repertoire Ballet (HRB) as well.

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Petroleum academy students develop skills, sportsmanship at STEM Showdown

Students from three HISD high schools took home prizes, as well as lessons on teamwork and sportsmanship from the recent Viva Technology STEM Showdown.

The event, which took place on Nov. 6 at University of Houston, is a partnership between Great Minds in STEM and Shell Oil Company. It provides traditionally underserved high-school students in IPAA/PESA Petroleum Academies with a chance to compete in an intensive series of STEM challenges alongside undergraduate partners attending local universities.

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Revere STEM program gains national attention with BP’s help

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Community partners are invaluable when it comes to helping students see how things are done in the real world. BP America has been partnering with HISD’s Revere Middle School since 2013, when STEM magnet coordinator and robotics teacher Alyssa Cannon-Banks began searching for role models for her students. BP America was one of the first to respond and sent nearly 40 scientists, engineers, and accountants to judge the school’s science fair. Soon after, BP America organized frequent tours of their headquarters, which made lasting impressions on students, most of whom come from underprivileged families.

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Westside HS senior chosen to participate in U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Jordan Elliot, a senior at HISD’s Westside High School, was recently selected by the U.S. Army to participate in its 2016 All-American Bowl.

Jordan is one of about 90 students to be chosen from across the nation, and the only one from HISD schools. He is also the second Westside senior to be selected for this honor. Westside graduate Frank Ileanacho (Class of 2014) played in the 2015 bowl. Continue reading →