Category Archives: District VII – Bridget Wade

Lamar students prepare for intensive IB program in the fall 

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Lamar High School’s International Baccalaureate Summer Academy got underway this past week. Every summer, incoming ninth-graders are introduced to the IB Middle Years Programme through an interactive interdisciplinary blending of English, math, science, technology, arts and humanities, and physical education in a project-based, non-graded curriculum.

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Topping Out Ceremony marks milestone for new Wisdom High School

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Workers on the site of the new Wisdom High School paused last Friday to celebrate as the last structural steel beam was placed atop the building, an important milestone in construction of the $74 million project.

Satterfield & Pontikes, Inc., the construction manager at risk for the new facility, organized the “Topping Out” Ceremony to thank subcontractors for their hard work and safety record. The group was treated to a barbecue lunch before they watched a large crane lift and place the final beam.

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EMERGE fellows get first-hand look at college life

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Students tour over a dozen top-tier campuses in south and northeast

Nearly 200 students from high schools throughout HISD are getting a first-hand look at top-tier colleges in the south and northeast as part of the district’s EMERGE summer tours.

Ninety rising seniors are visiting schools in North Carolina and Virginia this week, while 75 rising sophomores are spending time in Massachusetts. The tours are designed to expose students in EMERGE, a program made up of high-performing students from underserved backgrounds, to colleges and universities outside of Texas, as well as opportunities to help them make the most informed decision in their pursuit of higher education.

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Schools’ Office Organizational and Staffing Changes

As HISD prepares for the 2016-2017 school year, the district is taking the necessary steps to align the central office team in a way that best supports teaching and learning. Also, as a result of the $165 million recapture payment HISD must make to the state, the district is making changes to the organization and staffing structure at the cabinet level and throughout central office departments. Continue reading →

Elementary school leaders are Harvard bound

Hines-Caldwell and Briargrove elementary principals selected to attend summer leadership institute at Harvard

Hines-Caldwell Elementary School Principal Torrye Hooper and Briargrove Elementary School Principal Eden Jones-Hinds are heading to Harvard this summer thanks to Raise Your Hand Texas, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to strengthen and improve public education,

Hooper and Jones-Hinds were selected by the non-profit to participate in a summer leadership program at The Principals’ Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The two will join campus leaders from around the globe to engage in training and workshops led by national and international experts in the fields of education and leadership.

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Lee High School stakeholders sign steel beam to be used in construction of new building

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On the last day of school, Lee High School students, staff and community members had the opportunity to sign one of the final steel beams to be erected in the construction of their new school.

The school, recently renamed Wisdom High School by the HISD Board of Education, is being rebuilt as part of HISD’s voter-approved, 2012 Bond Program. It is slated to receive a new $73.8 million facility to accommodate 1,700 to 1,900 students.

“The beam signing is an awesome experience for the kids. They’ll remember it forever,” said HISD Trustee Harvin Moore, who represents the school. “This is going to be an amazing campus when it’s finished, and I’m extremely pleased with the progress.”

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Tanglewood MS celebrates new building and a new name

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Tanglewood Middle School community members on Monday evening marked two significant milestones in the history of the Galleria-area school: the dedication of their new building addition, and the renaming of their campus from Grady to Tanglewood.

“We’re excited to have the entire building finished. We’ve been in T-buildings a really long time,” said Principal Gretchen Kaspar-Hoffman. “It has a collegiate feel to it. I think our kids stand a little taller and listen a little better in this environment.”

The $14.8 million addition, which opened to students in February, is the first project to be completed under the Houston Independent School District’s 2012 Bond Program. It expands student capacity at the school from 580 to 850, and completes the multi-phase master plan for the campus, which began with funds from the 2007 Bond Program. The new wing features 24 classrooms, six science labs, six learning commons, and three administrative suites.

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Board considers options for sending $162 million in local property taxes to state

On the heels of last week’s Texas Supreme Court ruling declaring the state’s school finance system flawed, but constitutional, Houston ISD trustees met Thursday to discuss options for complying with the system’s requirement that HISD pay the state $162 million using local tax revenues.

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26 HISD campuses attain Family Friendly Schools certification

As the first year of the Family Friendly Schools certification program draws to a close, the Family and Community Engagement department has certified 26 participating campuses as either gold, silver and/or bronze, and one as an honorable mention.

The FACE department established the certification program to recognize and honor the dedication and commitment of principals, faculty, and staff who are determined to ensure their families and communities work together toward a common goal. The program was founded to assist schools in three vital areas related to family engagement: building relationships with family and community, linking family events to students’ learning, and supporting parents’ advocacy.

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Valedictorians and salutatorians represent the Class of 2016’s highest achievers

Each spring, the Houston Independent School District honors the top two scholars at each of its high schools with a formal celebration of their outstanding academic achievements.

This year, the district recognized the valedictorians and salutatorians at the annual Scholars Banquet held on April 12, 2016, at the Westin Oaks Galleria. A valedictorian has earned the highest grade-point average in his or her graduating class; the student with the second-highest grade-point average is designated as the salutatorian.

Click here to see photos and read the biographies of each valedictorian and salutatorian.

Click here to see the 2016 HISD Spring graduation ceremonies schedule.