Category Archives: District VIII – Judith Cruz

Carnegie Vanguard HS freshman wins Congressional Art Competition

The Cowboy

The Cowboy

Oulu Li, a ninth-grader at Carnegie Vanguard High School, has been selected as the winner of the Congressional Art Competition for District 18, which is represented by Sheila Jackson Lee.

Each spring, high-school students in each congressional district submit their works to the Artistic Discovery competition, a nationwide visual arts competition designed to recognize budding talent. More than 650,000 young people have participated since the contest began in 1982.

Oulu Li

Oulu Li

Students send entries to their representatives’ office, and panels of district artists select the winners. The winning students are recognized both in their respective districts and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Their works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

Marshall ES students get a lesson on heroes while building literacy skills

LX3_BooksNBears_300John Moore Services is observing its 50th anniversary in Houston this year, and to celebrate, the company gave away 250 books and teddy bears on May 15 to students at HISD’s Marshall Elementary School.

The books were written and illustrated by a local artist, and tell the story of “Buddy the Home Repair Bear,” who learns he doesn’t have to be a star athlete to be a hero in his own right.

“We are so grateful to John Moore Services for this generous gesture,” said Principal Hilarion Martinez. “I particularly like the book’s message — that people who come through for their friends are heroes, too.”

“We want to support literacy in our community by giving back to children who may not always have the privilege of getting their own book and toy,” added a John Moore Services representative.

Board of Education announces student awards for 2014–2015 school year

Trustee Paula Harris (far L) presents the Board Awards to some of the first graduate from the Young Women's College Preparatory Academy

Trustee Paula Harris (far L) presents the Board Awards to some of the first graduate from the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy

Each year, the HISD Board of Education honors distinguished seniors from district high schools in recognition of their accomplishments, as exemplified by their character, academic achievement, leadership, and service.

Selections are made by school-based committees appointed by each principal and the awards are presented by the trustee representing each district during commencement exercises.

One outstanding young man and young woman are selected from each high school, as well as up to five honorable mention students. A list of this year’s award recipients is here (.pdf) and a list of the students receiving honorable mention is here (.pdf).

Teachers of the Year for 2015 announced at HISD Celebration of Excellence

HISD held its fourth annual Celebration of Excellence at the Hilton Americas Hotel on May 15, 2015, and one of the evening’s most exciting moments came when the district’s Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year were announced.

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Robert Uzick, a fourth-grade teacher at Cunningham Elementary School, and Jessica Joseph, a sixth-grade math teacher at Hogg Middle School, have been named the winners of these awards for 2015. Continue reading →

HISD schools sweep recycling bin decorating contest

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He may have cardboard for horns and empty plastic water bottles for brains, but that hasn’t stopped the Milby High School mascot from making a big impression on visitors to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092).

Students from that school’s Peace Club decorated a 96-gallon recycling bin from the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department as part of an art contest called “Growing Up Recycling,” and their submission won the $500 first prize. Continue reading →

Read Houston Read volunteers recognized for service to students

In 71 hours, a person can ride a bicycle from Paris, France, to Brest and back or complete 48 orbits of planet earth. For Mimie Taylor, who was honored at Thursday’s Read Houston Read Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, those 71 hours were best spent helping first-graders improve their reading skills at Garcia Elementary School.

“Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to Read Houston Read and my scholars,” said Taylor brightly.

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East Early College HS places second in national SECME competition

East Early College HS Falcon 1 team, Pablo Flores, Miguel Lara, and Alejandro Meza

East Early College HS Falcon 1 team, Pablo Flores, Miguel Lara, and Alejandro Meza

The East Early College High School’s (EECHS) Falcon 1 team, whose members are Pablo Flores, Miguel Lara, and Alejandro Meza, won second place in the High School Water Rocketry category at the 2015 National SECME (Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering) Competition.

Continue reading →

HISD, Arts Access Initiative partnership to expand arts education in 11 schools

The Houston Independent School District and the City of Houston’s Arts Access Initiative joined forces Tuesday to announce a new partnership that will provide additional arts education programs at 10 elementary schools and one middle school.

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The partnership will directly connect schools to area arts organizations, providing 7,000 students with hands-on, arts-related experiences both in and out of the classroom. In addition to workshops and programs offered at the school, students also will have the opportunity to see performances and visit museums and arts venues.   Continue reading →

Middle school students win Target shopping spree

The Moran Norris Foundation is treating 150 students from six HISD middle schools to a shopping spree on Friday, May 8, 2015, at Target South Central, 6500 South Main, 77025.

In the “Shopping for Good Character” program, students from Cullen, Dowling, McReynolds, Marshall, and M.C. Williams middle schools, as well as Woodson Leadership Academy, were selected by their teachers for excellent attendance, great character, and the ability to make good choices. Each student receives $100 to purchase items for themselves and family members. They are also treated to lunch, courtesy of the foundation.

Continue reading →

Eight more HISD students win National Merit Scholarships

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced this year’s $2,500 National Merit Scholarship winners, and eight HISD students are among them.

They winners from HISD schools are: Tianxiu Chen and Marina Finley (Bellaire HS); Brett Gu (Carnegie Vanguard HS); Xiaoyi Dou, Zachary Kortum, Teresa Lee, and Poornima Tamma (DeBakey HS); and Claudia Heymach (High School of Performing and Visual Arts).

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