Category Archives: Early Education

Parents encouraged to register for pre-K during Week of the Young Child on April 16-20 

The Houston Independent School District is encouraging parents to register early for pre-K for the 2018-2019 school year during the Week of the Young Child, which is April 16 through 20.

Pre-registration will still be available before and after this week, but schools are celebrating the Week of the Young Child as a formal window for pre-K roundup and to showcase HISD programs and celebrate the district’s young learners. The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Finding a program

To locate an Early Childhood Center or an HISD Elementary School, visit HoustonISD.org/FindASchool. Filter your search by clicking the PK grade level button in the Advanced Search. You may also email the HISD Early Childhood Curriculum Department at Curriculum@HoustonISD.org. Continue reading →

Parker ES students mark first day in new school

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Roaring applause and cheers of joy echoed throughout the Parker Elementary School cafeteria on Monday as Principal Lori Frodine welcomed students to the first day of school in their new building.

To mark the first day, students gathered by grade level for assemblies in the cafeteria, where Frodine excitedly introduced the students to the new facility and its features and answered their questions.

“You guys have the coolest music rooms ever,” Frodine said to the eager students seated before her.

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Ask HISD Superintendent Carranza your back-to-school questions

Parents and community members can have their back-to-school questions answered by the superintendent and learn more about what’s new in the 2017-18 school year by tuning in to a live, interactive broadcast on Monday, Aug. 21.

Superintendent Carranza and his staff will take questions during a discussion that will be streamed live on HoustonISD.org, Facebook.com/HoustonISD, and on HISD-TV (Comcast 18 and Uverse 99).

There will be two opportunities to join in the conversation: from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for Spanish-speaking community members, and from 7 to 8 p.m. for English-speaking community members.

Parents can submit questions ahead of time by emailing Back2School@HoustonISD.org , posting a Tweet with the hashtag #Back2School, or posting a question at Facebook.com/HoustonISD. Questions can also be submitted during the live event.

The live broadcast will also provide an opportunity for the community to learn more about HISD’s initiatives for the new school year, including Achieve180, which is a plan to support the district’s 32 underserved campuses; restorative justice practices; wraparound services; and literacy. There will also be an update on the district’s new bond schools, nutrition in HISD, and fine arts.

Fonwood ECC dedicates new school

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Dressed in tiny ties and sparkly dresses, dozens of four-year-old students from Fonwood Early Childhood Center stood before a crowded cafeteria and sang in celebration of the dedication of their new school.

The students are among the first to attend classes in the new early childhood facility, which opened this school year and was specifically designed to enhance the educational experience of the district’s youngest learners.

Continue reading →

HISD to celebrate new building dedication and two groundbreakings in May

Three HISD schools are celebrating construction milestones this month — Fonwood Early Childhood Center will dedicate its new building, while Wharton Dual Language Academy and Barbara Jordan High School for Careers will celebrate the start of construction on their new schools.

The first event will be held at Fonwood Early Childhood Center, where school officials plan to formally dedicate the new school that opened its doors to students for this school year. The new school, which serves the district’s youngest learners, features 27 classrooms, including two special education centers and specialized visual arts and science labs, as well as three outdoor play areas and an outdoor learning center. It also features vibrant interior colors with plenty of natural light throughout. Continue reading →

Celebrate the Week of the Young Child on April 24-28 

The week of April 24-28 is the Week of the Young Child, an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children to put a public spotlight on the needs of young children and address those needs through early childhood programs and services.

Studies have shown children who receive high-quality early education learn fundamental literacy and mathematical skills that transfer to later grades, earn higher test scores, and are more likely to attend a four-year college.  Continue reading →

Rice University study: HISD pre-K students more prepared for kindergarten 

A study by Rice University released Wednesday has found that the Houston Independent School District’s pre-K program significantly increases preparedness for kindergarten after as little as one year compared to students who do not attend pre-K.

The study, conducted by a postdoctoral fellow at the university, cites English and Spanish assessment scores from kindergarten students after one and two years of pre-K.

The study found that English-assessment test takers who attended one year of HISD pre-K had 2.8 times greater odds of being ready for kindergarten than a student who attended zero years of HISD pre-K. Students who attended two years of HISD pre-K had 3.8 times greater odds of being school-ready than those who attended zero years of HISD pre-K, and 1.4 greater odds of being school-ready than those who attend one year of HISD pre-K.

Get the detailed report here.

Superintendent joins Children At Risk to highlight positive impact of Pre-K education 

Houston Independent School District Superintendent Richard Carranza, together with superintendents from surrounding districts, joined Children At Risk on Tuesday for a press conference to bring awareness to the positive impact of early childhood education on student learning.

Children At Risk is part of a multitude of community groups that are calling on state lawmakers to put more funding into Pre-K programming. They are taking action because the state’s Pre-K grant program, which started in 2015, is not fully funded in this year’s budget legislation.   Continue reading →

HISD Dyslexia Awareness Family Night set for Feb. 7

Dyslexia in its many forms affects a number of students in HISD. If you would like to know more about dyslexia, understand whether your child might have dyslexia, or find new resources to support your child identified with dyslexia, please join us at our Dyslexia Awareness Family Night on Feb. 7 from 6-8 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th Street).

The event will include a keynote address and breakout sessions. We will also offer individual student screenings on a first come, first served basis for families concerned that their child shows dyslexic tendencies. Representatives from various colleges and universities will also be on site to discuss their programs/accommodations available to students with dyslexia.

Continue reading →

Santa is part of the family at Fonwood ECC

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Students and staff at Fonwood Early Childhood Center didn’t just get a new building this year, they also got a new friend.

The new early childhood center opened to students in August, but crews have remained on site finishing punch list items. Though most work is done after school hours, HISD Construction Project Manager Dwight Wilson is at the school most days to oversee the project and ensure students are safe and work is being finished correctly.

It’s safe to say he has made quite an impression.

Continue reading →