Category Archives: District VIII – Judith Cruz

HISD football coach nominated for NFL High School Coach of the Year Award

Furr High School football coach Matthew Valmore was recently nominated for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award by the NFL Foundation for his leadership, dedication to the community, and commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.

“I am humbled, honored, and very appreciative to be considered for such a prestigious award,” Valmore said. “It almost feels like a dream.”

Valmore is among 32 high school football coaches from across the country nominated by a NFL team for the national award, which is named for the winningest coach in NFL history. He was nominated by the Houston Texans after the team selected him as a High School Coach of the Week in November. Continue reading →

Student Spotlight: Girls Art Squad creates amazing art project

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“The Breakout” is an enchanted fairy-tale art project, complete with animal sculptures created by a group of J.P. Henderson fifth-graders who call themselves the “Girls Art Squad.” They initiated the project on their own and completed it in their Culture Core class this past semester.

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Groundbreaking ceremonies planned for Wilson Montessori, Energy Institute HS

Wilson Montessori and Energy Institute High School will hold groundbreaking ceremonies in November to celebrate the start of construction on their new buildings.

The Wilson Montessori event will be held Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 9 a.m. at their school campus, 2100 Yupon St. The Energy Institute event will be held Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. at the site of their new location, 3501 Southmore Blvd. Continue reading →

HISD students raise SAT/PSAT scores by hundreds of points using free test prep from Khan Academy

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Two Booker T. Washington students have become national ambassadors for successful SAT/PSAT prep by  increasing their scores a combined 670 points, thanks to free practice tools available to every HISD student through Khan Academy.

In mid-October, the CollegeBoard flew Valencia Grayson and Matthew Blue to the Council of the Great City Schools fall conference in Miami, where they were honored for their success with the Khan SAT prep. HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza also attended the conference, where HISD was recognized for actively promoting the Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy.

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New HSPVA campus to benefit from Kinder Foundation gift

HSPVA Design

The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) is set to receive a contribution in the amount of $7.5 million from the Kinder Foundation, after HISD trustees voted to accept the donation at the October Board of Education Meeting.

The school’s new campus, which is part of HISD’s $1.89 billion bond program and is now under construction in downtown Houston, will be renamed Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in recognition of the gift.

The additional funding will enable the school to upgrade theater seating and equipment, audio/visual systems, music practice rooms, and more, beyond the district standard for high schools that was provided through the bond project budget. Continue reading →

HISD names new deputy superintendent

Samuel Sarabia

Samuel Sarabia

Houston ISD Superintendent Richard Carranza has selected Chief School Officer Samuel Sarabia as the district’s new deputy superintendent.

Dr. Sarabia, a 29-year veteran educator, has spent his entire public education career working at HISD. He currently serves as chief school officer in the HISD Office of School Support for the district’s south area. He previously served as a chief school officer over elementary schools.

“Dr. Sarabia has been a well-respected and dedicated leader at HISD for more than two decades,” Carranza said. “He carries a robust background in public education and school administration with a remarkable track record in leading student-focused learning and increasing achievement for students of all backgrounds. I am excited to work with him closely as we focus on making HISD a world-class school district.” Continue reading →

35 schools to be under construction by year’s end, BOC learns at quarterly meeting

The Houston Independent School District expects to have almost three dozen schools under active construction by the end of 2016, HISD Construction Officer Derrick Sanders told the Bond Oversight Committee (BOC) on Tuesday during their quarterly meeting.boc-oct-2016

Pending board approval of additional contracts, the district will have 35 projects actively underway, leaving just two — Austin and Bellaire high schools — to begin construction in 2017. Up from about two dozen projects in the last quarter, that is more active construction than at any time in HISD’s history, and also believed to be record-setting in Texas and the U.S.

“The quantity of contracts that we’ve moved through the process is incredible,” Sanders said. “We’ve gotten a lot done, but have a lot more to do. We welcome the challenge.” Continue reading →

52 schools take on Family Friendly Schools Challenge

The Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE) is welcoming 52 HISD campuses into its Family Friendly Schools Program for the 2016-2017 school year – twice the number of campuses from the previous school year.

Through a series of research-based activities and strategies to expand and build relationships with families, link family events to student learning, build parent capacity and support efforts for parent empowerment, schools have an opportunity to earn a star toward one of three Family Friendly School Certification levels: Continue reading →

High School for Law and Justice celebrates groundbreaking for new campus

High School for Law and  Justice Principal Carol Mosteit expressed her excitement Thursday as she spoke to a crowd of students, alumni, and school supporters gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of their new school.

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“It’s been a long time coming, and it seems like forever since we did the design for the new school with the architects,” said Mosteit. “Now it has come to fruition, and we’re ready to see this new building get going.”

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Navarro Middle School of Excellence celebrates renaming, honors namesake

Nearly 200 students, staff, and community members gathered Wednesday morning to celebrate the renaming of Yolanda Black Navarro Middle School of Excellence and pay tribute to the well-respected community leader who now serves as its namesake.

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On hand for the ceremony were family and friends of the late Yolanda Black Navarro, including HISD Board of Education Trustee Diana Dávila, HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza, U.S. Reps. Gene Green and Sheila Jackson Lee, State Sen. Sylvia Garcia, and son Christian Navarro, as well as many other Navarro family members and supporters.

“The name Yolanda Black Navarro represents the community today that it serves,” Navarro Principal Kelly Vaughn Pichon said, adding that the work of women such as Navarro rarely makes history books, but is “engraved in the hearts and minds of those positively affected.”

“Thank you, Yolanda Black Navarro, for your service not to only the Latino community, but for all people.”

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