Category Archives: District VI – Kendall Baker

Board of Education elects new officers for 2015

Board of Education meetings usually begin with commendations and recognitions. However, the first meeting of every year starts with the election of new officers.

On Jan. 15, 2015, the trustees chose Rhonda Skillern-Jones to serve as president, Manuel Rodriguez Jr. as first vice president, Wanda Adams as second vice president, Paula Harris as secretary, and Juliet Stipeche as assistant secretary.

Serving as an HISD school-board member requires a lot of hard work and dedication, and the nine trustees on HISD’s board selflessly devote many hours to studying issues, deliberating proposed actions and policy changes, and representing HISD in the community, all without pay. These men and women are essential to the success of this school district and deserve the district’s and the community’s deepest thanks.

2015 HISD Board of Education

  • Rhonda Skillern-Jones, President
  • Manuel Rodriguez, First Vice President
  • Wanda Adams, Second Vice President
  • Paula Harris, Secretary
  • Juliet Stipeche, Assistant Secretary
  • Anna Eastman
  • Michael Lunceford
  • Greg Meyers
  • Harvin Moore

For more information, including biographical information for each trustee, visit the Board of Education website.

AVID program supports low-income students’ quest for college

The desks in seventh-grade teacher Zachary Cummings’ AVID classroom at Hamilton Middle School are arranged so that students can work in groups. Collaboration is one of the five hallmarks of AVID, along with reading, writing, inquiry, and organization.

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Cummings’ students recently quizzed each other on Cornell notes they took on a PowerPoint presentation about the history of Apple Inc. Cornell notes are just one example of college-level study techniques students learn in AVID, a global nonprofit organization directed at students who are capable of completing a college-preparatory path if they receive the proper support. The focus is on low-income students whose families don’t traditionally attend college.

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Beijing educators tour HISD schools, observe classrooms

20150112_151757_resizedEducators from China’s Beijing School #20 began a two-day visit of HISD schools and the central office building on Jan. 12 to observe various classrooms, explore opportunities for collaboration, and discuss school management and curriculum.

The group toured Sharpstown International School on Jan. 12 and will visit the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and Carnegie Vanguard High School on Jan. 13. The special guests participated in discussions with district board trustees, administrators, curriculum directors, and school support officers.

Health program to help students focus, stay calm expands to 26 schools

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Breathing exercises and yoga poses are just a few of the things HISD students learn in the Sonima Health and Wellness program. Fourteen additional HISD schools now offer the curriculum, which is offered by the Sonima Foundation and teaches students multiple skills for a healthier lifestyle.

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Senior challenges giving students extra incentive to apply to college

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Completing college and financial aid applications early often yields its own rewards, but for students at two HISD campuses, it could also mean a free ticket to the senior prom or a day spent shadowing an admired professional.

Sharpstown High School Principal Rob Gasparello launched the Senior Challenge at his campus last fall, and students who meet all criteria are eligible to attend both the senior prom and the annual senior trip for free.  Continue reading →

KBR pre-bid meeting provides networking opportunities for minority-owned businesses

KBR Building Group held a pre-bid meeting this week to get acquainted with representatives from minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) who have an interest in working on HISD building projects.

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Student Congress giving high school kids a voice in their own education

Speaker of the Congress Zaakir Tameez (lower left) poses with members of the Student Congress at the Dec. 11 Board of Education meeting.

Speaker of the Congress Zaakir Tameez (lower left) poses with members of the Student Congress at the Dec. 11 Board of Education meeting.

A group of juniors and seniors from four HISD campuses is on a mission to give their peers a voice in public education—and they have created a new Student Congress to do it.

More than a dozen students from Bellaire, Carnegie Vanguard, Lamar, and Yates high schools founded the congress last spring, after participating in senior Zaakir Tameez’s Texas Performance Standards Project at Carnegie Vanguard.

“We were originally called ‘Our Shared Future’ and talked about current events,” explains Outreach Chair Amy Fan, now a junior at Bellaire High School. “But as we met with city leaders from all over Houston, our conversations would constantly lead back to education. Yet the only people with whom we could share our critiques was each other.” Continue reading →

Chuck Norris congratulates HISD students at martial arts belt ceremony

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Martial arts champion and actor Chuck Norris visited Revere and Thomas middle schools for a belt ceremony last week to congratulate hundreds of students who have excelled in martial arts.  Continue reading →

HSPVA breaks ground for new school in downtown theater district

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Construction at the new High School for the Performing & Visual Arts got an enthusiastic start on Sunday with a groundbreaking ceremony that drew hundreds of people to the school’s new location downtown.

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Westside Lady Wolves bring home the trophy at annual girls’ basketball tournament

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The Westside High School girls’ basketball team racked up multiple victories to finish as the overall champion of the HISD girls’ varsity basketball tournament. Fans were treated to three days of exciting and competitive basketball at the 31st annual tournament, which included 39 games held Dec. 4-6.

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