Category Archives: District VI – Kendall Baker

Black College Expo highlights college and scholarship opportunities

The Black College Expo is making its return to Houston on Saturday, and many HISD middle and high school students are taking advantage of higher education opportunities days before the big event.

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College recruiters and representatives from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Power Center (12401 South Post Oak Road, 77045) to provide students and parents with one-on-one counseling, as well as scholarship and financial aid information. HISD students and parents can attend the event for free.

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Meet HISD’s 2016 Principals of the Year

The Houston Independent School District named its top campus leaders on Thursday during surprise visits made to the winning schools — Bush Elementary School and Lanier Middle School.

Bush Principal Theresa Rose was named HISD’s Elementary Principal of the Year, and Lanier Principal Felicia Adams was selected as HISD’s Secondary Principal of the Year.

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Rose and Adams were among 15 elementary and 21 secondary principals vying for the distinction of HISD Principal of the Year. They learned of the award during surprise visits made on Feb. 18 to their respective campuses by HISD Deputy Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer Ken Huewitt.

“I am so proud of our principals and thrilled to have the chance to recognize them for all their hard work and dedication,” Huewitt said. “Effective principals are absolutely critical to ensuring the success of both students and teachers.”

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Payoff for social worker’s career in education: watching students heal

In this week’s “I Am HISD,” which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, Sugar Grove Academy social worker Elba Ruibal talks about why she began working in public schools, what compelled her to move from a high school to a middle school setting, and one of the biggest challenges of serving refugee students.

Let’s start with a little background. How long have you been a social worker, and when did you first join Team HISD?

Elba Ruibal

Elba Ruibal

I’ve been in social work for about 25 years. I started out working with domestic violence victims at the Houston Area Women’s Shelter and was there for two and a half years. I also worked at the Women and Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, in the children’s emergency room. I came to HISD five years ago, and was at Westbury High School for four of those. This is my first year at Sugar Grove.

What made you decide to move into public education?

When I had my own child, I wanted to be with him in the summers. But I also dealt a lot with victims of domestic violence at the hospital, and I had to report abuse to Children’s Protective Services. Once those children left the ER, I never knew what happened to them, and thoughts of their welfare lingered. But in a school setting, I get to see those children every day and know that they’re alive. I get to follow up, make sure they’re safe, and in the best cases, watch them heal.

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Askew Elementary community briefed on new building plans

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About 40 parents, neighbors, and staff of Askew Elementary School participated in a bond community meeting at the school this week, where they were briefed on the project status and design plans for their new campus.

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Two HISD students win top honors in regional Scholastic contest

Anna White, from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, was named an "American Vision" finalist in this year's Scholastic Art & Writing Contest for her painting, entitled "Afternoon Nap."

Anna White, from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, was named an “American Visions” finalist in this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Contest for her painting, entitled “Afternoon Nap.”

The Harris County Department of Education recently announced the regional winners of the Scholastic Art & Writing contests, and one of the top 10 finalists in each category attends an HISD school.

Anna White (High School for the Performing and Visual Arts) was named an American Visions finalist for her painting entitled “Afternoon Nap,” while Jaelynn Walls (Carnegie Vanguard High School) was named an American Voices finalist for her personal essay/memoir entitled “Prime.” American Visions and American Voices nominees are considered regional “best of show” winners in art and writing (respectively). Each will receive a $250 scholarship from sponsor Texas Art Supply, and one finalist in each category will earn the national medal in March.

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Petrochallenge student competition drills down to the top three teams

The sounds of students hard at work — plotting, drilling, and making deals — filled the room at Houston Community College-Southwest during the Independent Petroleum Association of America/Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association (IPAA/PESA) Petrochallenge. Nearly 400 students participated in the annual four-day competition, which challenges young people to become leaders in the oil and gas industries through a simulation-based training tool called OilSim.

Students from different schools in Houston and Fort Worth not only predicted and acquired valuable blocks for oil and gas production, they were tasked with making deals among the different teams to test their business acumen. In the process, students learn about the methods used in the real world of oil and gas, the terminology used, and maybe even a new career option.

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“I’ve learned about water depth and geometrics and all this stuff I didn’t know about going in,” said Westside High School student Jason Levine.

When all was said and done, three teams of students from Milby and Westside high schools, as well as the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy (YWCPA), took home the top prizes. Each winning team received a monetary prize, but students say they gained so much more.

“I knew I wanted to be a petroleum engineer,” said YWCPA student and second-place team member Alyssa Dorelus. But coming here just reaffirmed what I already knew.”

The Petrochallenge is sponsored by Schlumberger, NExT, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, and IPAA/PESA.

Gregory-Lincoln culinary students use their harvest to create dishes at top restaurant

Each month, Gregory-Lincoln Education Center teacher Kellie Karavias leads a small group of her students on a walking field trip to whip up a delicious and healthy meal at Houston’s top restaurant The Pass & Provisions.

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The class isn’t an ordinary culinary arts course or cooking class. In fact, students carefully select a few fruits or vegetables harvesting at the time in their school garden, then work with chefs Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan to create a dish that’s both nutritious and delicious.

Karavias says the cooking classes began after sending out a tweet to the chefs asking if she could bring her students to The Pass & Provisions—and she received a response.

“I went over [to the restaurant] and asked if I could speak to the chef, and Seth came out with hors d’oeuvres,” Karavias said. “We started talking, and he wanted to know what we were doing at the school, so I invited him and Terrence over.”

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Seven bond schools planning community meetings in first quarter

Updates will be provided on design plans and project status for each campus

Community meetings have been scheduled during the first quarter for the following seven bond schools, to inform stakeholders of project plans to rebuild or renovate their campus as part of HISD’s $1.89 billion bond program. Attendees will hear from project architects and other team members and will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Meeting times and locations

SCHOOL DATE ADDRESS
Garden Oaks Montessori Tues., Feb. 2, 7:00 p.m. 901 Sue Barnett
Askew Elementary Thurs., Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m. 11200 Wood Lodge
Waltrip High School Tues., Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m. 1900 West 34th St.
Westbury High School Thurs., Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m. 11911 Chimney Rock
Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy Tues., Feb 23, 6:30 p.m. 1906 Cleburne Street
Wilson Montessori Thurs., Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m. 2100 Yupon
Sam Houston MSTC Wed., Mar. 2, 6:30 p.m. 9400 Irvington

More information on HISD building programs

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HISD joins U.S. Departments of Education, Health & Human Services to announce new initiative supporting healthy students, communities

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The Houston Independent School District and the U.S. Departments of Education and Health & Human Services joined forces Friday to encourage communities to link health and education services to better support students.

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier welcomed acting U.S. Secretary of Education John King and Health and Human Services Acting Deputy Secretary Mary Wakefield to Sharpstown High School, a model for health and education collaboration.

While there, they toured the campus-based Memorial Hermann clinic and Apollo Market — which provides free food, health screenings, and community resources to students and their families — and participated in a roundtable discussion. Continue reading →

Thank a trustee during National School Board Recognition Month

The 2016 Board of Education

The 2016 Board of Education are (L-R): Anna Eastman, Michael Lunceford, Second Vice President Diana Davila, First Vice President Wanda Adams, Assistant Secretary Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Secretary Jolanda Jones, President Manuel Rodriguez Jr., Harvin Moore, and Greg Meyers.

January is National School Board Recognition Month, honoring the men and women who serve on the nation’s thousands of Boards of Education. These dedicated public servants become school board trustees because they are committed to improving public education and their communities.

Our board members devote many hours to making sure Houston’s schools are safe and have the resources and instructional programs needed to educate children to their fullest potential.

“The students in HISD are very fortunate to have dedicated board members who work day in and day out to shape policies that support a high-quality education for all of our students,” said HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier. “If you haven’t reached out, please thank your school board trustee for caring about our children, and let them know that they truly are appreciated for what they do.”

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